Switzerland Beat Colombia on Penalties to Reach World Cup Quarter‑Finals for First Time in 72 Years

Switzerland reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 72 years on Tuesday, beating Colombia 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw in the round of 16 at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel was the central figure, keeping Colombia out through 120 scoreless minutes before making the decisive save in the shootout.

The turning points came from the spot. Colombia had an early setback when defender Davinson Sánchez hit the bar, and Kobel then denied Cucho Hernández to put Switzerland in control. Switzerland’s only miss came when defender Manuel Akanji fired over, but Rubén Vargas converted the Swiss team’s fifth penalty to seal the victory. Granit Xhaka, Zeki Amdouni and Cedric Itten also scored for Switzerland, while Juan Fernando Quintero, Jaminton Campaz and Luis Díaz converted for Colombia.

The match itself was a tense, low-scoring contest with few clear openings and little to separate the teams over regulation and extra time. Kobel, Switzerland’s starting goalkeeper, was required to make important saves before the shootout to preserve the deadlock. Neither side found a breakthrough in 90 minutes, and the additional 30 minutes also ended without a goal, sending the match to penalties at 0-0.

The result carries major historical weight for Switzerland. The team had not reached a World Cup quarter-final since the 1954 tournament, leaving a 72-year gap between appearances in the last eight. By advancing, Switzerland delivered one of the country’s most significant World Cup results in generations, with Kobel’s performance proving decisive both during the match and in the shootout.

Colombia, meanwhile, was trying to match or better its best World Cup run, a quarter-final appearance in 2014, but its tournament ended in the round of 16. Switzerland will next face Argentina in the quarter-finals at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.