Switzerland and Colombia will battle to keep their unbeaten streaks alive when they meet in the all-important last Round of 16 match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.
6 teams have already qualified for the quarter-finals with 2010 champions Spain and 2018 Bronze medallists Belgium becoming the latest to go through to the last 8 yesterday.
While Spain crashed all of Portugal’s hopes of landing a maiden FIFA World Cup title by beating them with a narrow 1-0 margin, the Belgian Red Devils thrashed co-hosts United States of America 4-1 and now, the two European nations will take on each other in the next knockout round.
After Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit yesterday, all eyes will be on Lionel Messi and Argentina who will also be in action later today against Egypt from 9:30PM (IST) onwards. After that, Switzerland will square off with Colombia from 1:30AM (IST).
How Switzerland reached here?
Switzerland enter the contest full of confidence after dominating Group B to finish at the top of their table. They carried that momentum straight into the knockout rounds, easing past Algeria with a clinical 2-0 victory in the Round of 32.
While the Swiss reached the quarterfinals in 1934, 1938, and 1954, they have frequently struggled for consistency in modern knockout matches. However, under the leadership of veteran midfielder Granit Xhaka and Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji, the team is functioning like clockwork in North America. Their tactical discipline makes them an incredibly difficult opponent to break down.
Colombia’s path to the Round of 16
Colombia have been equally impressive and remain unbeaten in their four matches so far. Nestor Lorenzo’s men kicked off their campaign with solid group-stage wins over Uzbekistan and Congo DR. They eventually topped Group K after grinding out a scoreless draw against Portugal, which remains the only game where they failed to find the back of the net.
Colombia then proved their tournament credentials in the Round of 32 by securing a disciplined 1-0 win against a tough Ghana side. Bolstered by the creative spark of James Rodriguez and the blistering pace of Luis Diaz, they have emerged as the dark horses of the competition.
The winner of this match will face either of Argentina or Egypt in the quarter-finals on Sunday, July 12 at the Kansas City Stadium.
How to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in India?
Multiple group-stage matches that will take place simultaneously will be aired across Zee5 app and website. Live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will also be available on the Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD TV channels in India.