Vargas stuns Italy as Switzerland advances to Euro 2024 quarterfinals

Rubén Vargas turned Switzerland’s quarterfinal push into reality with a strike that arrived before Italy could settle into the second half at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. The Sevilla FC winger drifted into the left side of the area and bent a shot into the top corner, making it 2-0 after Remo Freuler had opened the scoring and effectively closing the door on the reigning champions.

That goal mattered because it changed the shape of the match, not just the scoreline. Italy had already been forced to chase after Freuler’s first-half finish, but Vargas’s early second-half strike punished the moment when the Azzurri were most vulnerable: immediately after the restart, when defensive lines were still resetting and pressure was easiest to break with one clean action. Gianluigi Donnarumma had no chance against the curling finish.

Switzerland’s 2-0 victory on June 29, 2024, in the round of 16 at Euro 2024 sent the team into the quarterfinals and eliminated the defending champions. It also gave Switzerland its first win over Italy in 31 years, a result that reflected how firmly the Swiss controlled the tie from the opening goal through the final whistle. Freuler set the platform, and Vargas delivered the finish that turned control into certainty.

Vargas, born Aug. 5, 1998, in Adligenswil, Switzerland, has played as both a winger and attacking midfielder for Switzerland and Sevilla. In Berlin, he showed why he has become such a valuable attacking option: he found space, attacked it decisively and punished Italy with a strike that arrived at the perfect tactical moment.