SWITZERLAND:

SPOILED IN VANCOUVER

Jun 25, 2026

The Swiss showed up and spoiled the party in Vancouver yesterday (the 24th). It’s been an efficient Swiss campaign so far, and they’ll be the ones ultimately staying up North.

Canada still advance as runners-up, but will feel hard done by, seeing as they only needed a draw to remain with their home crowd for another game. The hosts are sent down to L.A. for their Round of 32 matchup.

Switzerland won Group B and remain unbeaten on 7 points.

It was a relatively quiet first half, and we didn’t get much from either team. Murat Yakin's side took over after the break, though, when Ruben Vargas opened the scoring in the 46th minute off a Johan Manzambi assist.

Manzambi added the 2nd in the 57th, set up by Breel Embolo, and it ended 2-1 after a late flurry of chances by the Canadians.

Regardless of how long it took for Switzerland to get going, it was a performance that put even more eyes on one of their young stars.

This most recent goal and assist are the latest in a breakout run for Manzambi, which has already included a 2-goal cameo off the bench against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A Freiburg midfielder who was named Europa League Young Player of the Season this spring, Manzambi will be on every recruiter's radar from here on out, if he wasn't already (he probably was).

That's the thing about a World Cup. For a certain kind of young player, it's a launchpad for careers to take off. Names that meant little to casuals in May leave the tournament with their value doubled and a queue of clubs itching to sign them.

Manzambi looks like one of those names, someone I’ll be keeping an eye on in the future.

For now, though, the Swiss have a job to do. They’re at the World Cup, hoping to progress, and at this point, the spectacle of the tournament should have worn off. The focus it took to get here should have taken over. The knockouts are calling. Let’s see what they got.

⚔️ 🇨🇭

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