Switzerland are into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1954 after beating Colombia 4-3 on penalties following a scoreless draw Tuesday at BC Place in Vancouver.
Ruben Vargas converted the decisive spot kick in a shootout that swung Switzerland’s way after Colombia defender Davinson Sánchez struck the crossbar and Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel saved an attempt by Cucho Hernández. The result sends the Swiss into a marquee quarterfinal against defending champion Argentina on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
The match itself offered “few fireworks,” with Switzerland described as patient against Colombia and their enthusiastic support. A sellout crowd of 52,497 was overwhelmingly clad in yellow, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino was among those in attendance.
“They had the crowd on their side, so it was a tough game for us,” Kobel said. “We know we had some stretches of the game where we had to defend and stay strong mentally. Obviously we had a few players missing so, yeah, it was a big challenge for us.”
How Switzerland and Colombia reached penalties
The round-of-16 tie was tightly contested, with the teams presenting contrasting styles: Switzerland more organized and methodical, Colombia more attack-oriented and physical. Switzerland held a slight edge in possession, but clear chances were limited and neither side found a breakthrough through regulation or extra time.
Colombia’s first notable look came in the 21st minute when Gustavo Puerta tried his luck from distance, only for Kobel to push the shot away. Switzerland responded with one of their best opportunities in the 30th minute as Fabian Reider hit a blast at goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, who punched the ball down. Minutes later, Vargas smothered another Swiss attempt from Dan Ndoye.
After halftime, Switzerland threatened from a set piece in the 52nd minute, but Reider’s free kick curled around the wall and into the side netting. Colombia’s best moment in extra time came when Jhon Lucumi’s header struck the crossbar and caromed away as the South Americans increased the pressure on Kobel.
With the match still scoreless, it went to penalties. Switzerland got the key moments they needed: Sánchez hit the crossbar for Colombia, Kobel saved Cucho Hernández’s attempt, and Ruben Vargas delivered the decisive conversion to seal a 4-3 shootout win.
Switzerland’s injury absences and late impact
Switzerland were short-handed. Young midfielder Johan Manzambi was injured in training on Monday, and the Swiss were also without Luca Jaquez and midfielder Michel Aebischer. Vargas, who has scored two goals at the World Cup, left Monday’s training early but still featured Tuesday, coming on in stoppage time at the end of regulation before stepping up in the shootout.
Colombia’s run ends after a tense knockout
For Colombia, the defeat ended a tournament that carried significant weight after the team failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. Los Cafeteros last reached the quarterfinals in 2014 in Brazil, beating Uruguay in the round of 16 before losing 2-1 to the host nation.
“The dream was enormous,” Colombia midfielder John Arias said. “The country showed us that it believed in us, that it lived every moment with us, and I think that only makes the pain even greater.”
What’s next: Switzerland set for Argentina quarterfinal
Switzerland’s reward is a quarterfinal date with Argentina, the defending champions, on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Argentina defeated Egypt 3-2 earlier Tuesday to book their place.
The Swiss have been regular participants in the knockout rounds recently—reaching the round of 16 at the past three World Cups—but had not pushed through to the last eight in the modern era. Coach Murat Yakin underlined the scale of the opportunity ahead.
“We worked very hard, and now we have this opportunity,” Yakin said. “This is going to be a very interesting matchup from our point of view. We will try to compete against the reigning champions and it’s going to be amazing. Switzerland against Argentina in a quarterfinal. I am so excited. I think that I need maybe a couple of hours more or another day to process what just happened, and then tomorrow we will start focusing on Argentina.”
Kobel also emphasized what the moment means for the Swiss program after finally returning to the World Cup quarterfinal stage. “I don’t think you can overstate what a huge success this is — for us, for this team, for Switzerland, for such a small country. To be among the top eight teams in the world is incredible,” he said.
The teams’ World Cup history includes a meeting in the 1994 group stage in the United States, when Switzerland won 2-0, but Tuesday’s contest was decided only after 120 minutes and a tense shootout that sent the Swiss through.
