World Cup 2026: Switzerland blow past hopeless Algeria to reach the last 16
Switzerland barely had to break a sweat. On Thursday night, into Friday, the Nati brushed aside Algeria 2-0 in the round of 32 with alarming ease, thanks to goals from Breel Embolo (10e) and Dame Ndoye (46e). It was a deserved win against an Algeria side that produced one of the most disappointing displays of the tournament, anonymous from start to finish and booed off by their own fans at the final whistle. Switzerland keeper Gregor Kobel did not have to make a single serious save all night. That says it all.
The opener came from a clumsy Algeria blunder. Aissa Mandi was left flat-footed by Johan Manzambi’s double burst of pace, allowing Embolo to finish his teammate’s cross in the 10e minute. Early in the second half, Rafik Belghali played a suicidal pass straight through the middle, and Ndoye made it 2-0 (46e) before the Fennecs could even settle. Two gifts wrapped up neatly, two Swiss goals. Switzerland had set up perfectly, picking a quick team built to punish weakness, and Murat Yakin watched his plan come off without a hitch.
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Algeria sink into irrelevance as Switzerland make history
Algeria have had a tournament to forget. Nine goals conceded in four matches, full-backs bombing on too often, centre-halves nervous and slow, midfielders offering very little and forwards nowhere to be seen. Vladimir Petkovic’s decision to use Ibrahim Maza up front robbed the side of a proper striker and blunted the youngster’s impact. Unlike Senegal or Ivory Coast, who kept battling to the end, Algeria left without a single positive memory. Their fans in the stadium made their feelings clear as soon as the whistle went.
For Switzerland, though, this was a landmark night. The Nati recorded their first World Cup knockout win since World War II. It could have been even more convincing had Fabian Rieder not wasted a chance in the 81e minute. They will face the winner of Colombia-Ghana in the last 16, a far tougher test than this Algeria outfit ever managed to provide. Still, Switzerland have shown in this tournament that they know how to get the job done when it matters.
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Photo by Ercin Erturk / Anadolu via AFP
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