By Opta Analyst | Created at 2026-07-18 17:28:13 | Updated at 2026-08-02 23:29:07
3 weeks ago
A forgettable contest in Vancouver was ultimately decided on penalties. Re-live all the best stats from this 2026 World Cup round-of-16 game with our Switzerland vs Colombia stats page.
Switzerland booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup with a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout win over Colombia.
Gregor Kobel‘s save of Cucho Hernández‘s penalty proved crucial after a goalless 120 minutes at BC Place Vancouver, with substitute Rubén Vargas scoring the winning spot-kick as Switzerland will now face reigning champions Argentina in the last eight.
While neither side took the first half by the scruff of the neck, they both had their chances. Colombia went closest when Gustavo Puerta‘s curling effort in the 21st minute was palmed away by Kobel.
Fabian Rieder and Dan Ndoye forced Camilo Vargas into action before the break, with the Colombia goalkeeper making two straightforward saves, while half-time substitute Djibril Sow fired over early in the second period.
Rieder was involved again, striking a free-kick into the side-netting, before Luis Suárez skewed a good chance at the other end as he rushed his shot after dispossessing Granit Xhaka.
Both teams combined to produce just 0.7 expected goals (xG) (0.3 for Switzerland, 0.4 for Colombia) across the 90 minutes, the lowest total in normal time of any match in this World Cup, though the South Americans increased the pressure in extra-time.
Jhon Lucumí saw his header from Juan Fernando Quintero‘s corner cannon off the crossbar, before Jaminton Campaz‘s swerving strike from distance was just about kept out by Kobel.
The best opportunity of the entire tie then fell to Campaz in the 115th minute after Xhaka was caught out near his goal, but the Colombia forward lashed over the bar, and the match had to be settled by penalties.
Quintero scored to start the shoot-out, while Switzerland captain Xhaka saw his spot-kick parried into the net by Vargas, before Davinson Sánchez rattled the crossbar as Colombia blinked first.
Campaz just about squeezed his penalty under Kobel, which was followed up by a composed strike from Zeki Amdouni, though Manuel Akanji failed to do the same as he fired well over the bar.
Colombia’s joy was short-lived, however, as Hernández was denied by Kobel, allowing substitute Vargas to win the tie for Switzerland and send them into the last eight for the first time since 1954.
Colombia’s Hard Work Comes to Nothing
This was just the second World Cup knockout match since the start of the 2018 edition to end 0-0 after extra-time, after Morocco vs Spain in the 2022 last 16, though Colombia’s effort in the additional 30 minutes went unrewarded.
They managed more shots in extra-time (eight) than they did in normal time (seven), with Lucumi hitting the crossbar and Campaz squandering a golden opportunity to settle the tie ahead of the shoot-out.
Switzerland, on the other hand, recorded just one attempt in extra-time, a hopeful lob from Xhaka, and they took a risk in playing for penalties with their recent record in shoot-outs.
Switzerland had only won one of their previous five penalty shoot-outs at major tournaments (World Cup/Euro), progressing past France 5-4 in the round of 16 at Euro 2020, but Kobel ensured there would not be more Swiss heartbreak in Vancouver this time around.
The Swiss shot-stopper provided the goods for his side whenever called upon, saving all three shots on target he faced, and he will need to be in similar form when they face reigning champions Argentina on Saturday.
Our Opta match centre delivers you all the Switzerland vs Colombia stats from their 2026 FIFA World Cup round-of-16 meeting at BC Place Vancouver on 7 July.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own match analysis.
Underneath the match centre you can find the official Opta stats on the game as well.
Switzerland vs Colombia: Selected Post-Match Opta Facts
- Colombia have been eliminated from all three of their FIFA World Cup knockout ties that have gone to extra time – the joint-most of any nation to have never progressed from a tie that went beyond normal time (Romania & Mexico, also 3).
- The team shooting second has won 13 of the last 15 penalty shootouts at the men’s World Cup, with all four in the 2026 edition being won by the team kicking second (Paraguay, Morocco, Egypt and Switzerland).
- Six of the eight nations that have qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup are European, the joint-most in a single edition this century, along with 2006 and 2018 (also 6).
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