Overview
The Swiss team entered the confrontation with Colombia with great confidence after winning three consecutive victories at the 2026 World Cup.
Coach Murat Yakin's team started the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Qatar, but quickly regained their form. They defeated Bosnia & Herzegovina 4-1 thanks to the explosion at the end of the match, when all 5 goals were scored after the 74th minute.
Two players who came on from the bench, Johan Manzambi and Ruben Vargas, created a turning point, thereby being given a starting spot by Yakin in the last round of the group stage against Canada.
This decision continued to be effective when Switzerland won 2-1 to take the top spot in Group B and advance to the knockout round.
In the round of 32, Manzambi continued to shine with an assist for Breel Embolo to score the opening goal in the victory over Algeria. The 20-year-old midfielder's performance contributed to helping Switzerland play more cohesively and confidently.
Meanwhile, Colombia also brought very high form into this match. Coach Nestor Lorenzo's team is unbeaten in the last 6 matches with five wins and one draw.
The only draw was the 0-0 draw against Portugal in the last round of the group stage. This was a match where Davinson Sanchez once put the ball into the net but the goal was disallowed for offside.
However, Colombia still topped Group K before defeating Ghana 1-0 in the round of 32 to write their name into the round of 16.
The victory over Ghana is even more meaningful when Jhon Cordoba suffered an early injury, forcing Colombia to adjust their playing style but still maintain their advantage.
The biggest strength of the South American representative is a solid defense. Colombia has kept a clean sheet in 3 consecutive matches and has only conceded one goal at the 2026 World Cup, in the 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan on the opening day.
With the stable form of both teams, the competition between Switzerland and Colombia is predicted to be very balanced. While Switzerland is excited after a series of consecutive victories, Colombia shows the bravery of a disciplined and effective team.
Personnel situation
The Swiss national team is racing against time to have the service of midfielder Michel Aebischer before the clash with Colombia in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
Aebischer is currently still having to train separately to treat a muscle injury and his ability to play has not been confirmed. Center-back Luca Jaquez is also in a similar situation when he cannot return to training with the whole team.
On the Colombian side, the biggest loss is the absence of striker Jhon Cordoba. This striker had to say goodbye to the 2026 World Cup after suffering a hamstring injury in the early minutes of the victory over Ghana in the round of 32.
However, Nestor Lorenzo still has a reliable replacement. Luis Suarez, a striker currently playing for Sporting Lisbon, came on as a substitute in the match against Ghana and immediately left his mark with an assist that brought the decisive goal.
Expected lineup:
Kobel, Zakaria, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez, Xhaka, Freuler, Ndoye, Manzambi, Vargas, Embolo.
Vargas, Munoz, Sanchez, Lucumi, Mojica, Lerma, Arias, Puerta, Rodriguez, Suarez, Diaz.
The match between Switzerland and Colombia takes place at 3:00 AM on July 8 (Vietnam time).
