Embolo and Ndoye send Switzerland past Algeria into the last 16
Switzerland reached the World Cup last 16 with their first knockout win since 1938, seeing off Algeria 2-0 in Vancouver behind early goals from Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye.
Jul 3, 2026
Switzerland are into the last 16 of the World Cup, and they got there the way they have done all tournament: doing just enough and defending the rest. Breel Embolo struck early and Dan Ndoye added a second moments after the break as Murat Yakin’s side beat Algeria 2-0 at a sold-out BC Place in Vancouver, a result that keeps them unbeaten in 2026 and books a place in the knockout rounds proper.
Embolo sets the tone early
Switzerland did not wait around. In the 10th minute, 20-year-old Johan Manzambi burst down the left and pulled the ball back across the face of goal, leaving Embolo the simple task of finishing from close range. It was the kind of quick, direct move Algeria had been warned about, and it handed the Swiss control of a game they never really looked like losing.
From there Yakin’s plan was obvious. Switzerland dropped a little deeper, packed the midfield and dared Algeria to break them down. Granit Xhaka sat in front of the back line and dictated when his side pressed and when they sat, and Algeria kept running into the same wall.
Ndoye kills the game off
Any hope Algeria had of a second-half response lasted barely a minute. Straight from the restart a cross was only half-cleared, the loose ball dropped to Ndoye on the edge of the box, and the winger swept it home to make it 2-0. A one-goal lead had become a comfortable one, and Algeria’s night effectively ended there.
Riyad Mahrez carried most of Algeria’s threat and worked the best of their openings, but the final ball would not come and Switzerland’s defenders threw themselves in front of everything. For all their attacking names, Algeria could not force the save that might have changed the mood.
A knockout drought ends
The win carries some history with it. Switzerland had not won a World Cup knockout match since 1938, and Yakin’s group have now broken that run while staying unbeaten through four games. It is not always pretty, but a well-drilled defence and forwards who take their chances is a hard combination to play against.
Switzerland now wait on the winner of Colombia against Ghana, with the round-of-16 tie set for Vancouver on Tuesday. On this evidence, whoever comes through will not enjoy trying to break them down either.