Switzerland beats Colombia on penalties to reach World Cup quarterfinals

Penalties delivered the cruel end to Colombia’s World Cup run in Vancouver, where Switzerland won 4-3 after 120 scoreless minutes at BC Place. Dávinson Sánchez hit the crossbar, Gregor Kobel saved Cucho Hernández’s attempt, and Rubén Vargas converted the decisive kick to send the Europeans into the quarterfinals.

The result sent Switzerland into the last eight for the first time since 1954 and set up a meeting with Argentina, the reigning world champions, in Kansas City on Saturday. For Switzerland, the shootout was a release after a tight match with few clear openings. For Colombia, it was a collapse at the exact moment the match demanded precision.

Néstor Lorenzo’s side had arrived with momentum, having won its group and then beaten Ghana 1-0 in the previous round. That run had put Colombia within reach of matching its best World Cup finish, but the team could not turn that position into a breakthrough against a disciplined Swiss defense. The match stayed closed through regular time and extra time, and Colombia never found the decisive touch it needed before the penalty shootout exposed the pressure.

The exit will land hard with Colombian supporters who had watched the Selección de Colombia build belief over two rounds and project a genuine path to the quarterfinals. Instead, the campaign ended with the familiar World Cup edge: one missed strike, one save, and one finish that separated progress from elimination. Switzerland took the final spot in the quarterfinals, and Colombia was left with a run that promised more than it could finally deliver.