Switzerland Reaches World Cup Quarterfinals for First Time Since 1954

Switzerland's national football team secured a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1954 by defeating Colombia 4-3 in a penalty shootout on Tuesday.

After a 1-1 draw in regulation time, the match went to penalties. Kintero opened the scoring for Switzerland, but Granit Xhaka equalized. Colombia's Davinson Sánchez hit the crossbar, while Zeki Amdouni put Switzerland ahead. In the third round, Campas scored, but Manuel Akanji fired over the bar, making it 2-2. Swiss goalkeeper Kobel saved a penalty from Cucho Hernández, and Cedric Itten scored to make it 3-2. Luis Díaz converted for Colombia, but Rubén Vargas sealed the win with his spot-kick, ending the shootout 4-3.

This tournament is the first World Cup featuring 48 teams, hosted across Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The 48 nations are divided into 12 groups, with the top two from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to the knockout stage.

Argentina, the 2022 World Cup champions in Qatar, defeated France on penalties in the final.