Switzerland oust Colombia in World Cup penalty shootout
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- Switzerland beat Colombia 0-0 (4-2 on penalties) at BC Place in Vancouver to reach the World Cup quarterfinals — their first shootout win at a World Cup, after losing their only previous attempt (to Ukraine in 2006).
- Gregor Kobel saved Cucho Hernández's penalty after substitute Rubén Vargas scored the winner; Davinson Sánchez and Manuel Akanji also missed their attempts in the shootout.
- Lionel Messi and reigning champion Argentina await in the quarterfinals at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on July 11.
- Manager Murat Yakin celebrated breaking Switzerland's penalty "curse," noting the team had won just one of their last six shootouts — against France at Euro 2020.
- Switzerland reaches a World Cup quarterfinal for the first time since 1954, having made the last eight at three of their last four major tournaments (failing only at the 2022 World Cup, eliminated in the round of 16).
- Captain Granit Xhaka called the Argentina matchup "a great reward," saying the team's hunger is now "even greater than before" after reaching the quarterfinals.
Why it matters: Switzerland ends decades of World Cup penalty-shootout frustration — one win after losing to Ukraine in 2006 — and earns a quarterfinal date with defending champion Argentina and Messi. The result also makes this Switzerland's deepest World Cup run since 1954, capping a tournament where the squad won a shootout for the first time after a 0-0 draw with Colombia.
