8 Jul 2026

Switzerland 0-0 Colombia (4-3 pens): cool heads, big gloves, quarter-final ticket secured

Switzerland are into the World Championship quarter-finals after a 0-0 draw and a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Colombia at BC Place in Vancouver. In front of 52,497 fans, Murat Yakin’s side absorbed long spells of Colombian pressure, then finished the job from the spot. Referee Iván Barton kept a firm line through 120 tight minutes that offered more tension than chances.

On Sofascore, the story reads like a defensive masterclass with nerve to match. Switzerland edged possession 53-47 and completed 546 accurate passes, but created only 0.35 xG against Colombia’s 1.03. The shootout provided the difference their open-play numbers didn’t.

A tense 120 minutes in Vancouver

The first half was balanced and cagey. Possession split 49-51 toward Colombia while total shots stood at 2-5, yet Switzerland actually produced the only two on target before the break. Chances were scarce, and both teams looked more comfortable preventing than creating.

After halftime, Switzerland grew into the game. They took 57 percent of the ball in the second half, attempted four shots to Colombia’s two, and swarmed the final third with 28 entries to 19 in that period. Colombia still owned the better dribble success (60 percent to Switzerland’s 27 percent across the match) and would finish with more total shots at 15-7.

Extra time tilted toward Colombia in threat but not in outcome. The first extra period was one-way traffic on the shot count at 0-5, with Colombia hitting the woodwork twice across extra time. Switzerland coped by clearing everything, piling up 37 clearances overall to Colombia’s 21. It set the stage for penalties to decide it.

Penalty shootout, kick by kick

Colombia led off through Juan Fernando Quintero, who converted calmly for 0-1. Switzerland’s captain Granit Xhaka answered, 1-1, before Davinson Sánchez dragged Colombia’s second kick off target. Zeki Amdouni made it 2-1 to Switzerland with a composed finish.

Momentum seemed to swing when Manuel Akanji missed Switzerland’s third. Jaminton Campaz replied to level at 2-2 and turn up the volume in the stands. Then came the turning point: Gregor Kobel read Cucho Hernández, saved, and kept it 2-2.

Cédric Itten put Switzerland back in front at 3-2. Luis Díaz kept Colombia alive at 3-3 with a confident strike. Rubén Vargas stepped up last for Switzerland and buried the winner for 4-3, sealing a quarter-final place.

Numbers that shaped the result

Colombia carried more direct threat, finishing with 15 total shots to Switzerland’s 7 and a 1.03 to 0.35 edge in expected goals. They also won the duel share 54-46 and completed 9 of 15 dribbles to Switzerland’s 4 of 15. They created two big chances and, frustratingly for them, missed two.

Switzerland controlled tempo and territory without overcommitting. They completed 546 of 626 passes, logged 65 final-third entries, and held the ball 53 percent of the time. Crosses were a weak channel for both, with Switzerland at 1 of 15 and Colombia at 4 of 18. Switzerland’s aerial strength mattered late, edging the aerial duels 16 of 31.

Defensively, the Swiss box was largely off-limits. They made 37 clearances, 13 interceptions, and won the tackle battle by percentage (54 percent). Colombia recovered more loose balls at 55 to 46, won more tackles in the second period of normal time, and hit the frame twice in extra time. But the difference sat in goal: Switzerland posted 0.43 goals prevented and two “big saves,” the platform for their penalty triumph.

Player of the Match: Gregor Kobel (Sofascore Rating 8.8)

The shootout belongs to the headlines, but Gregor Kobel owned the match narrative long before the penalties. The Switzerland goalkeeper posted a Sofascore Rating of 8.8, making three saves, including two from inside the box, and preventing 0.4305 expected goals against. His save from Cucho Hernández in the shootout was the signature moment.

Kobel commanded his area with one high claim and three clearances, and he was tidy with the ball. He completed 39 of 48 passes and hit 9 of 18 long balls to relieve pressure and find outlets. Add eight recoveries and two aerial wins, and you have a goalkeeper who did far more than stop shots.

Others were influential without matching his impact. Granit Xhaka posted 7.8 with 84 of 91 passes completed, one penalty converted, and 101 touches to drive Switzerland’s rhythm. Nico Elvedi added 7.5 built on eight clearances and three interceptions in a busy back line. For Colombia, Juan Fernando Quintero’s 8.3 reflected his creative spark off the bench, with 0.44 expected assists, two key passes, and his successful first kick in the shootout.

Switzerland into the quarter-finals: Argentina next

Switzerland advance from the Round of 16 after holding firm through 120 minutes and staying perfect enough from the spot. The strengths on show were clear: disciplined defending, reliable passing structure, and elite goalkeeping under pressure. When the match accelerated into chaos, their box work and composure remained steady.

The team shape protected the middle, funneled crosses into manageable areas, and trusted the central defenders’ positioning. In possession, Switzerland used volume and security to control tempo rather than chase low-percentage shots. Their final-third entries were consistent, even if the finishing touch lagged behind.

Argentina await in the quarter-finals. Expect Switzerland to lean again on Xhaka’s tempo control, the distribution of Akanji and Elvedi, and Kobel’s presence for the next test. Wide runners like Dan Ndoye and Rubén Vargas can stretch games late, as seen by their penalty contributions and carry threat. Penalty poise from Xhaka, Amdouni, Itten, and Vargas adds an extra card to play if margins stay thin.

For fans tracking every detail, Sofascore has the full package: live ratings, xG, player heatmaps, passing networks, and the penalty shootout sequence. If Switzerland replicate the control, discipline, and calm they showed in Vancouver, they will give themselves a real chance in the last eight.