2026 FIFA World Cup (Round of 32)
Switzerland 2-0 Algeria
Vancouver, Canada: Switzerland booked their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a composed 2-0 victory over Algeria, ending the North Africans’ impressive campaign on Friday morning (Uganda time).
The Swiss took control early and never looked back, producing a disciplined display to secure a deserved victory and advance to the knockout stage.
Breel Embolo handed Switzerland the perfect start in the 10th minute, finishing confidently to put Algeria on the back foot.
Algeria attempted to respond but struggled to break down a well-organised Swiss defence that denied them clear scoring opportunities throughout the first half.
Any hopes of a comeback were effectively extinguished just a minute after the restart when Dan Ndoye doubled Switzerland’s advantage with a composed finish to make it 2-0.
The North Africans enjoyed periods of possession but lacked the cutting edge in the final third as Switzerland comfortably managed the remainder of the contest to seal qualification.
The victory sends Switzerland into the Round of 16, where they will face the winners of the Colombia-Ghana tie on July 7 in Vancouver.
For Algeria, the defeat brings their World Cup journey to an end and makes them the fifth African nation to exit the tournament in the Round of 32 after South Africa, DR Congo, Ivory Coast and Senegal.
Morocco remains Africa’s only confirmed representative in the Round of 16 after eliminating the Netherlands on penalties, while Ghana was still due to face Colombia later on Friday with another last-16 place at stake.
Switzerland joins Portugal, Spain, Belgium, England, France, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Paraguay, Norway and Morocco among the nations that have already secured places in the Round of 16.
The remaining Round of 32 fixtures will see defending champions Argentina face Cape Verde, Australia take on Egypt, while Ghana battle Colombia for a place in the last 16.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
