Spot-on Swiss Punish Wasteful Colombia to Set Up Date with Messi

Switzerland, who began the game without Johan Manzambi after he injured his knee just before kick-off, had their last shot on target in the 32nd minute. beltedkingfisher.blog

Colombia, who began slowly, grew into the game and finished much the stronger in extra time. But almost from the start, this was a game that looked destined to be a stalemate and to go to penalties – the very opposite of the thriller in Atlanta earlier in the day.

This was always going to be one of those games that would open up only if there was an early goal. Once there wasn’t, each team settled into its patterns. Switzerland, missing Manzambi’s thrust and ingenuity down the left, remained as solid and organised as they have been for most of the tournament. Colombia, who were so impressive even in the goalless draw against Portugal, made most of the running but could not find the pass or the touch that mattered in the final third.

Ultimately, however, football is about scoring goals. It is not about possession stats or xG, and this is something Colombia have found difficult throughout their history. The three greatest modern-day Colombian strikers, for example – Radamel Falcao, Faustino Asprilla and Adolfo ‘El Tren’ Valencia – not one of them managed an international goals-per-game ratio of even 0.4. In one sense, this is a testament to how tough South American football has become, but in another it is also evidence of how the pressures of international football test even the very best.

Luis Suárez, who led the line for Colombia, had his first prolific season in the top flight of any league in 2025-26, scoring 28 times for Sporting Lisbon. He has five goals in 17 international appearances. On the surface, that looks like a conversion rate similar to the very best, but dig a little deeper and four of those goals came in a single game against Venezuela.

This is not to pin the blame on Suárez alone. Others had their chances too. Luis Díaz, who had such an outstanding season with Bayern Munich, was unable to make his usual impact, with the Swiss defence staying resolutely compact throughout. James Rodríguez, too, could not supply the magical assist that we have come to expect from him.

Make no mistake, Switzerland rode their luck, especially after Manuel Akanji blasted into orbit with his penalty.

Colombia’s penalties were even worse, and at some point fans around the world are going to ask why coaches keep asking central defenders to step up in shoot-outs, especially when so many of them walk up like lambs to the slaughter. If you’re a forward and you refuse to take a kick in a shoot-out, should you even be in the team? If you’re that mentally fragile, what place do you have on the biggest stage?

So many questions. And no answers for Colombia, most of whose fans would have been licking their lips at the prospect of a quarter-final against a very vulnerable Argentina next Saturday. Instead, Los Cafeteros head home wondering what might have been.

This was a World Cup that seemed destined to belong to the outsiders, one where we might finally have seen a new name on the trophy. Instead, the old order has reasserted itself emphatically, with six European teams and Argentina taking their places in the last eight.

For the Swiss, who last reached this stage in 1954 on home soil, this is very much new ground. But don’t write them off against Lionel Messi and company. Under Murat Yakin, this is a team that has learned how to win. More importantly, this is a team that are very hard to beat.

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India vs England 2026 3rd T20: Shreyas Iyer’s Team India slumped to their 4th loss in T20 cricket in the last 5 matches – one game washed out – with a massive 125-run loss to England in the third T20 of the five-match series at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Tuesday. Chasing 202 to win, Indians were bowled out for 76 with Jofra Archer claiming four wickets and Josh Tongue picking up three.

It was India’s first loss by more than 100 runs in T20I cricket in the last 20 years. The previous highest margin of defeat for Team India in T20I cricket was by 80 runs by New Zealand in Wellington in 2019.

India’s 5 biggest losses in T20Is (by runs)

Vs	Margin	Venue	DATE
England	125 runs	Nottingham	July 7, 2026
New Zealand	80 runs	Wellington	February 6, 2019
South Africa	76 runs	Ahmedabad	February 22, 2026
South Africa	51 runs	New Chandigarh	December 11, 2025
New Zealand	50 runs	Visakhapatnam	January 28, 2026

Shreyas Iyer’s side were also bowled out for their second-lowest total in T20I cricket in their history. The lowest total posted by Team India in this format was 74 vs Australia in Melbourne, 18 years back in 2008.

India’s lowest totals in T20I cricket

Total	Against	Venue	Year
74	Australia	Melbourne	2008
76	England	Trent Bridge	2026
79	New Zealand	Nagpur	2016
92	South Africa	Cuttack	2015
101	Sri Lanka	Pune	2016
102	Zimbabwe	Harare	2024

Captain Shreyas Iyer had one word to describe India’s performance in the third T20I match – ‘atrocious’. Iyer has now lost 10 matches, won 1 and 1 no-result in his last 12 matches as captain in T20 cricket (including IPL 2026).

“It was atrocious, losing by that margin is not acceptable. First things first, we have to accept the loss and go back to drawing board,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation ceremony in Trent Bridge on Tuesday..

The Indian skipper felt that the bowling attack shouldn’t have gone for 200 on this Trent Bridge track. “I don’t think it was a 200 wicket. We lost four wickets in the powerplay and that itself pushed us back. You can plan a lot but once you come to the ground you need to adapt. Try to figure out what is the right length. I felt the hard length was tough (to hit) and we didn’t execute,” he said.

. . #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/REwbtECeFy

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 7, 2026

Indian batters were bowled out for only 11.4 overs – the shortest-ever all-out innings for India in men’s T20I cricket. Only three full-member teams have been bundled out in fewer overs in a men’s T20I.

The highest-score in the Indian innings was 13 each by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ishan Kishan as only 4 Indian batters managed to get into double figures. “We need to comeback strong and not dwell too much about the past. Every individual has to think and see how they can contribute to the team,” Iyer said.

England captain Harry Brook was happy that Josh Tongue and Jofra Archer, who took seven wickets between them, executed their plans superbly.

“I thought the communication and the plans going into the second innings was perfect. Bowling top of the stumps was tough to score. That’s the conversation we had. We recognized early that it was a tough wicket to score from the top of the stumps,” Brook said.

Washington, DC [US], July 8 (ANI): Folarin Balogun apologised to United States supporters following the team’s exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026, saying the disappointment of their Round of 16 defeat would fuel the squad as they look to build on a tournament that showcased the country’s growing football potential.

A day after the USA’s 4-1 loss to Belgium ended the hosts’ dream run, Balogun shared an emotional message on X reflecting on his first World Cup campaign.

“My debut World Cup… it hurts to wait 4 years to compete at the highest level our sport has to offer. I want to say sorry to our fans. It was not good enough when it mattered most, and we let you down," Balogun wrote.

“Soccer in America will only become bigger. The belief, the talent, and the passion is continually growing, and I know the best days are in front of us. The future belongs to those who never stop believing. This moment will fuel us. We will be back. Why not us? For the nation. For the flag," he added.

Balogun’s tournament ended amid controversy after FIFA suspended the one-match ban he had received following his red card in the United States’ 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, allowing him to feature against Belgium.

The decision prompted a challenge from Belgium, but FIFA dismissed the protest and upheld Balogun’s eligibility for the Round of 16 encounter.

Addressing the controversy before the match, Balogun insisted he had played no role in the process that overturned his suspension.

“Of course, it’s controversial when the decision is overturned. We accepted the decision when I saw the red card, and we accepted the decision when we were told I could play," Balogun had said, as quoted by ESPN.

“I was not involved in the process. It had nothing to do with me personally," he added.

Belgium, however, proved too strong for the co-hosts, securing a commanding 4-1 victory in Seattle to book their place in the quarter-finals.

Charles De Ketelaere starred with a brace to earn the Player of the Match award, while Hans Vanaken scored his first FIFA World Cup goal. Substitute Romelu Lukaku added a stoppage-time fourth, extending his scoring streak to three consecutive World Cup matches.

The United States briefly drew level through a deflected free-kick from Malik Tillman, but a costly error by goalkeeper Matt Freese allowed Belgium to regain control before Lukaku sealed the result.

The defeat ended the United States’ campaign, making them the last of the tournament’s three co-hosts to be eliminated after Canada and Mexico. Belgium will now face Spain in the quarter-finals on July 10. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan sparked controversy during Egypt’s dramatic 3-2 FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 defeat to Argentina after making an “X” gesture toward referee François Letexier. While the gesture is recognised by FIFA as a signal against racist abuse, its meaning in this context remains unclear. FIFA has not confirmed any investigation, though Hassan’s actions may face disciplinary review.

Switzerland vs Colombia FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16: Switzerland ended a 72-year-old wait as they defeated Colombia via penalty shootout in a FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match at the BC Place Stadium in Vancouver on Tuesday. The Swiss have entered the World Cup quarterfinals after 72 years where they will take on Lionel Messi’s Argentina at Kansas City Stadium on Saturday.

After a game which ended in a scoreless draw, Ruben Vargas converted the crucial penalty and Switzerland advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals. Gregor Kobel’s save of Cucho Hernandez‘s penalty proved critical as Swiss emerged victorious in the shootout with a 4-3 margin.

The Swiss have not reached the quarterfinals of a World Cup since hosting the tournament back in 1954. They were also missing the services of their young midfielder Johan Manzambi, who was injured in training on Monday.

‘Super sub’ Vargas, who has scored two goals in the World Cup, also left Monday’s training early but came on in stoppage time at the end of regulation period. “They had the crowd on their side, so it was a tough game for us. We know we had some stretches of the game where we had to defend and stay strong mentally. Obviously we had a few players missing so, yeah, it was a big challenge for us,” Swiss goalkeeper Kobel said.

WATCH Switzerland vs Colombia FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 penalty shootout HERE…

Colombia vs Switzerland full penalty shootout pic.twitter.com/jiZ7DWdOWV

— koko5cedis (@koko5cedis) July 8, 2026

Colombia had failed to qualify for the last World Cup in 2022. The ‘Los Cafeteros’ made the quarterfinals at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, defeating Uruguay in the round of 16 before losing to the host country 2-1.

“The dream was enormous. The country showed us that it believed in us, that it lived every moment with us, and I think that only makes the pain even greater,” Colombia midfielder John Arias said after the match.

Both teams combined to produce just 0.7 expected goals (0.3 for Switzerland, 0.4 for Colombia) across the 90 minutes – the lowest total in normal time of any match in this World Cup. But the South Americans managed to increase the pressure in extra-time.

The Swiss reached the round of 16 at the past three World Cups but failed to advance with a smaller field of 32 teams. “We worked very hard, and now we have this opportunity. This is going to be a very interesting matchup from our point of view. We will try to compete against the reigning champions and it’s going to be amazing. Switzerland against Argentina in a quarterfinal. I am so excited. I think that I need maybe a couple of hours more or another day to process what just happened, and then tomorrow we will start focusing on Argentina,” Switzerland coach Murat Yakin was quoted as saying AP news agency.

This was just the second World Cup knockout match since the start of the 2018 World Cup to end 0-0 after extra-time, after Morocco vs Spain in the 2022 last 16 match. Gustavo Puerta had the first real chance for Colombia, shooting from distance in the 21st minute, that was pushed to safety by Kobel.