Vancouver, 08 July : Switzerland secured a historic place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after defeating Colombia 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shootout in the Round of 16 on Tuesday, ending a 72-year wait for a place in the last eight.

 

The match remained goalless after the regulation 90 minutes as well as 30 minutes of extra time, forcing the contest to be decided through a penalty shootout.

 

Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel emerged as the hero by saving Cucho Hernández's penalty, laying the foundation for his team's victory. Earlier in the shootout, Colombia's Davinson Sánchez struck the crossbar. Switzerland's Manuel Akanji also missed his spot-kick, but Ruben Vargas calmly converted the decisive penalty to seal a memorable victory.

 

With the win, Switzerland advanced to the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1954. They will now face defending champions Argentina in the last-eight clash.

 

For Colombia, the defeat ended hopes of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for only the second time in their history. Their previous appearance in the last eight came at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but their 2026 campaign came to an end after the penalty shootout defeat.---