World Cup 2026: Switzerland moves on after beating Algeria 2-0

Switzerland secured its place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup after a 2-0 victory over Algeria on Thursday. This marks the fourth consecutive time the Swiss team has reached the Round of 16, but they continue to seek their first quarterfinal appearance since hosting the tournament in 1954. In the upcoming match, Switzerland will face the winner of the Colombia vs. Ghana game on Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET on Fox.

Thursday's match was Switzerland's third straight win, a feat they had never accomplished in World Cup history before this tournament. Their previous wins came against Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The game commenced evenly in Vancouver, with Algeria benefiting from a spirited advance through the group stage. The Algerian team created several scoring opportunities initially, but Switzerland found the back of the net first. In the 10th minute, Johan Manzambi initiated a counter-attack that sliced through the Algerian defense, leading to an easy goal for Breel Embolo.

Algeria maintained longer possession and completed more passes compared to the favored Swiss team; however, Switzerland exploited Algeria's defensive vulnerabilities effectively. Just as the second half commenced, Dan Ndoye extended Switzerland's lead to 2-0 with a goal from the top of the penalty area.

After the second goal, Switzerland had minimal stress for the remainder of the match, with the closest chance for either team being a remarkable miss from a Swiss player, which did not discourage their fans, who continued to cheer throughout stoppage time.