Colombia and Switzerland are set to battle for a place in the quarterfinals when they face off in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 7. The winner of the contest will take on either Argentina or Egypt in the last eight.
Colombia have been one of the standout teams of the tournament so far. Returning to the FIFA World Cup after missing out on the 2022 edition in Qatar, Los Cafeteros have enjoyed an impressive campaign and are yet to taste defeat.
The South American side began their group-stage campaign with victories over tournament debutants Uzbekistan and DR Congo before holding Portugal to a draw in their final group fixture. The unbeaten run of two wins and a draw saw Colombia finish at the top of Group K and secure a place in the knockout rounds.
Their Round of 32 clash against Ghana proved to be a closely fought affair, but Colombia did just enough to progress as the South Americans claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory to seal their place in the last 16 of the expanded 48-team World Cup.
Switzerland have also enjoyed an unbeaten run on their way to the Round of 16. The Swiss opened their Group B campaign with a draw against hosts Qatar before registering back-to-back victories over Bosnia & Herzegovina and Canada. The two wins and a draw were enough to see them finish as Group B winners and advance comfortably to the knockout stage.
In the Round of 32, Switzerland faced Algeria and produced another disciplined display. Breel Embolo broke the deadlock before Dan Ndoye added a second goal after the interval, guiding the Swiss to a convincing 2-0 victory and booking their place in the Round of 16. The victory was monumental for Switzerland as it was their first World Cup knockout match victory since 1938, ending an 88-year drought.
Match Time, Venue
The Round of 16 match between Colombia and Switzerland will be played at BC Place Vancouver, Canada. The kick-off time of this match is 1:30 a.m. IST on Wednesday.
Head to Head
- Matches Played: 2
- Colombia wins: 2
Form Guide (last five matches, most recent first)
- Switzerland: W-W-W-D-D
- Colombia: W-D-W-W-W
Switzerland
- Possible Starting 11 (4-2-3-1): Gregor Kobel; Denis Zakaria, Nico Elvedi, Manuel Akanji, Ricardo Rodriguez; Granit Xhaka, Remo Freuler; Dan Ndoye, Johan Manzambi, Ruben Vargas; Breel Embolo
- Substitutes: Marvin Keller, Yvon Mvogo, Aurele Amenda, Eray Comert, Luca Jaquez, Miro Muheim, Silvan Widmer, Michel Aebischer, Christian Fassnacht, Cedric Itten, Ardon Jashari, Fabian Rieder, Djibril Sow, Zeki Amdouni, Noah Okafor
- Coach: Murat Yakin
Colombia
- Possible Starting 11 (4-2-3-1): Camilo Vargas; Daniel Munoz, Davinson Sanchez, Jhon Lucumi, Johan Mojica; Jefferson Lerma, Gustavo Puerta; Jhon Arias, James Rodriguez, Luis Diaz; Luis Suarez
- Substitutes: Alvaro Montero, David Ospina, Santiago Arias, Yerry Mina, Willer Ditta, Deiver Machado, Jorge Carrascal, Juan Fernando Quintero, Richard Rios, Kevin Castano Jaminton Campaz, Juan Portilla, Jhon Cordoba, Carlos Gomez, Juan Camilo Hernandez
- Coach: Nestor Lorenzo
Players to Watch
- Johan Manzambi (Switzerland): The 20-year-old is having a great time at this World Cup, having scored three goals and providing two assists. His two goals against Bosnia and Herzegovina helped Switzerland in picking up a crucial win in the group stages.
- Luis Diaz (Colombia): Luis Diaz came on the back of a sensational debut campaign with Bayern Munich and the 29-year-old has carried that good form into the World Cup, where has netted one goal and provided one assist.
How To Watch Live Telecast?
The Colombia vs Switzerland FIFA World Cup 2026 match will be televised live in India on Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD television channels.
How To Watch Live Streaming?
The Colombia vs Switzerland FIFA World Cup 2026 game will be streamed live on the ZEE5 app and website in English, Malayalam, Bangla and Hindi.
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