New Delhi: For the first time in 72 years, Switzerland has qualified for the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup, after defeating Colombia 4-3 in penalties. The Swiss held their cool after 120 minutes, while Colombia ended up missing two penalties as they made their exit from the tournament.
The Swiss Manager, Murat Yakin, was pleased with his side’s performance.
“I think I need another couple of hours or days to process what just happened,” he said. “This is a dream.”
For the Nati, the victory allows them to finally cross the Round of 16, the stage at which they exited the tournament in the three previous editions of the World Cup. In 2014, the Swiss were knocked out by Argentina in the Round of 16, after Angel Di Maria scored in the 118th minute. In the 2018 edition, they lost to Sweden 1-0 in the Round of 16, while at the last World Cup, they were knocked out 6-1 by Portugal.
Despite the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams, the Nati topped Group B with seven points, with a slow start against Qatar. Switzerland won both of their next matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and tournament co-hosts Canada.
In the Round of 32, the Nati knocked out Algeria, ensuring their progress to the Round of 16. At the heart of Switzerland’s growing confidence in the tournament remains the combo of manager Murat Yakin and captain Granit Xhaka.
Role of Granit Xhaka and Murat Yakin
As Switzerland and Colombia proceeded with the penalty shootout, Yakin did not immediately enter the player huddle. He stood back and entered the crowded bodies of Swiss players as they were heading to their positions, checking in on their readiness.
The penalty shootout began with what seemed to be reluctance among the Swiss players to take their first spot-kick. Xhaka, the most capped Swiss player in history, with over 150 appearances for the Nati, stepped up. Aiming for the left of the goal, his kick barely squeaked in after Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas got a hand on it.
Nevertheless, the moment highlighted the role both Yakin and Xhaka have played to lift the Swiss national team into the quarter finals for the first time in over seven decades. The last time the Nati made it to the quarter finals, they were the hosts of the tournament, which was eventually won by West Germany. In fact, the Bundesliga had yet to be launched as the top tier for German domestic football (that would have happened nearly a decade later).
Gregor Kobel, the Swiss goalkeeper, dived to the right side in four out of five Colombia spot-kicks, showcasing his preparation for the game. His save against a well-powered and placed shot by Cucho Hernandez helped ensure that the Nati will now face Lionel Messi’s Argentina on 11 July.
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8-game unbeaten run
The Swiss national team lost five of their previous six penalty shoutouts. For Yakin, who has been managing the national team for half a decade, the victory comes at a moment in Swiss football, as a core group of experienced members are appearing for what could potentially be their last World Cup.
Captain Xhaka is 33 years old. Manuel Akanji, the current centre-back for Internazionale in the Italian Serie A, is 30. The younger generation of Switzerland boasts of Dan Ndoye, Fabian Rieder and Johan Manzambi. Ndoye was part of the Switzerland squad that made it to the quarter-finals of the Euro 2024 championship, and is appearing at his first World Cup.
For Yakin, the 2026 World Cup is his second at the helm of the Nati. The coach has not had an easy time in the dugout. The heavy defeat to Portugal during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the following campaign for the EURO 2024 championship had a number of people asking for his exit.
However, the poor qualifying campaign for the 2024 Euros led to a rift between Yakin and Xhaka, which was only bridged days ahead of the tournament. Since then, the team qualified comfortably for the 2026 World Cup, topping their UEFA qualifying group with 14 points from six games.
Switzerland have lost only one of their last nine games, an international friendly versus Germany in March 2026. Ever since then, the Nati have won five and drawn three games. It comes into the game against defending champions Argentina, with Messi leading the goalscoring charts with eight goals.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)