Switzerland and Colombia will battle it out in their round of 16 knockout clash at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday evening in Vancouver.
Both teams come into the game unbeaten in the tournament, setting this up to be a potentially explosive encounter between two sides that have never won the World Cup in their history.
Switzerland beat Algeria 2-0 in their round of 32 knockout clash, while Colombia scored a 14th minute goal and it was enough to edge Ghana 1-0 to book their place in the round of 16.
The Swiss have been eliminated in the round of 16 in the last two editions of the tournament, with their last appearance in the quarterfinals coming in 1954. They have reached the quarters on three previous occasions and are eager to qualify here as well.
They take on a Colombia side who are making their seventh appearance at the World Cup finals. Their quarterfinal appearance in the 2014 edition remains their best-ever showing at the global showpiece and they can at least match that historic performance with victory here.
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Colombia failed to qualify for the 2022 edition but have shown extreme capability to compete with the best in the world. They have only conceded one goal this far – the best defensive record in the tournament.
Switzerland will have an uphill battle trying to crack the Colombian defense, however the nine goals they have scored in the competition gives them a confidence boost ahead of kick off. They have also made history by recording three consecutive World Cup wins for the first time in their history.
With only one round of 16 victory from three games, the pressure is on Colombia to find a winning formula to keep them in the competition. Here we have a look at both teams ahead of kickoff and offer our predicted outcome.
What time does Switzerland vs Colombia start?
The match kicks off at 11PM E.A.T at BC Place
Switzerland vs Colombia team news
Denis Zakaria and Luca Jacquez are the only injury concerns for the Swiss, with both ruled out with injuries.
They boast the talent of youngster Johan Manzambi, who already has five goal contributions this World Cup. Only Germany’s Thomas Muller contributing more while under 21 in the last six decades.
Dan Ndoye and Ruben Vargas will retain their spots in the starting lineup, providing more attacking options for the Swiss. Breel Embolo will continue to lead the attacking line, with no other changes expected from the lineup.
Jhon Arias, the lone goalscorer in the win against Ghana, has scored three in his last five games for Colombia and will most definitely start here.
Veteran forward James Rodriguez will also retain his place in the starting XI, with Jhon Cordoba being the focal point of the Colombian attack. Bayern Munich’s Luis Diaz has been key and will also start here.
Switzerland vs Colombia head-to-head and current form
Switzerland stretched their unbeaten streak to seven games with the win against Algeria. They have now won three consecutive games, dropping points in draws against Australia and Qatar prior to that run.
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Colombia on the other hand are unbeaten in their last six games – winning five of them, while conceding just two goals.
These nations have played against each other three times in their history and there has never been a stalemate. Colombia have won twice, with the Swiss victorious on one occasion.
Current form:
Switzerland – WWWDD
Colombia – WDWWW
Switzerland vs Colombia previous games
- Colombia 3-1 Switzerland (March 25, 2007)
- Switzerland 0-2 Colombia (June 27, 1994)
- Colombia 2-3 Switzerland (February 4, 1991)
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Switzerland vs Colombia prediction
The Colombian defense has been a force to reckon with and despite the Swiss scoring nine goals in the competition, they will not have it easy here.
Switzerland’s attacking quality has been supreme but against a high press Colombian outfit, they could struggle in front of goal. However, we can expect an evenly matched encounter with both teams capable of getting at least a goal in the game.
Prediction – Both teams to score – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!