Switzerland beat Colombia in penalties to reach quarterfinals

Switzerland reached the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals after defeating Colombia 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw. Ruben Vargas converted the winning penalty to send the Swiss into the last eight.

Switzerland will now face defending champions Argentina on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Argentina secured its place in the quarterfinals earlier with a 3-2 victory over Egypt.

The result marks Switzerland’s first appearance in a World Cup quarterfinal since hosting the tournament in 1954. The team achieved the milestone despite missing young midfielder Johan Manzambi, who suffered an injury during training on Monday.

Ruben Vargas, who has scored two goals in the tournament, also left training early on Monday because of a fitness concern. However, he was available on the bench and came on during stoppage time before confidently converting the decisive penalty.

Colombia’s hopes ended when defender Davinson Sanchez struck the crossbar with his penalty, while Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel saved Cucho Hernandez’s spot kick to give his side the advantage in the shootout. FIFA President Gianni Infantino was among the spectators at BC Place Stadium, where the sellout crowd was overwhelmingly dressed in yellow to support Colombia.

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Colombia returned to the World Cup after missing the 2022 tournament. The team’s best performance remains reaching the quarterfinals in 2014, when it defeated Uruguay in the Round of 16 before losing 2-1 to hosts Brazil. Switzerland had reached the Round of 16 in each of the previous three World Cups but had failed to advance beyond that stage until now.

The match was closely contested, with Switzerland relying on disciplined organisation while Colombia adopted a more attacking approach. Switzerland enjoyed slightly more possession, but both teams managed only two shots on target. The remaining quarterfinals will see France face Morocco, England take on Norway, and Spain play Belgium.