INGLEWOOD, California, June 19 — Switzerland found a way through a stubborn Bosnia and Herzegovina defence with four late goals to secure a 4-1 victory in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B clash this morning, moving to the brink of the knockout stage.
Johan Manzambi scored twice after coming off the bench, while fellow substitute Ruben Vargas and captain Granit Xhaka also found the net as the Swiss capitalised on Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic's red card.
The result lifted Switzerland to four points and left them needing just one more point from their final group match against Canada in Vancouver on Wednesday to guarantee a place in the round of 32 as either group winners or runners-up.
Bosnia, who remain on one point, must beat Qatar in Seattle to boost their chances of advancing.
Despite the heavy defeat, Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez refused to concede defeat in the race for qualification.
“We have this third game and nothing is lost,” Barbarez told reporters. “We have to win it, of course, if we want to get further. This defeat is huge for us, but I don't like whining.”
Switzerland dominated possession throughout the opening half, but Bosnia frustrated their opponents with a disciplined defensive display, forming a compact shield around their penalty area.
Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko twice found himself in promising positions before halftime, but his side failed to convert their limited opportunities.
The Bosnians emerged more aggressively after the break and picked up two yellow cards, including one for Dzeko before the veteran striker was substituted.
Barbarez felt his side enjoyed their best spell midway through the second half before a hydration break, creating two rare clear openings against a Swiss side that had struggled to break down their packed defence.
“We were the better team before the hydration break. We had two or three excellent chances which should have ended in goals. We controlled the match and did a lot of pressing,” he said.
Swiss coach Murat Yakin defended his decision to leave some of his quickest players on the bench until the latter stages.
“We needed to be very patient,” Yakin said. “We brought in very quick, very fast players.”
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 74th minute when Manzambi, just three minutes after entering the match, fired a right-footed effort that goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj got a hand to but could only deflect into the net.
“The goal should not have happened,” Barbarez said. “The goal came from an individual mistake and then we had a red card. Even much more experienced teams get affected by that.”
Bosnia's task became significantly harder six minutes later when Muharemovic was sent off after bringing down Breel Embolo just outside the penalty area as the Swiss forward closed in on goal.
Switzerland immediately took advantage of the extra space. Vargas doubled the lead with a low finish into the bottom corner before setting up Manzambi's second goal after 90 minutes.
Substitute Ermin Mahmic pulled one back for Bosnia in stoppage time with a volley from inside the penalty area, but any hopes of a late rally were extinguished moments later when Xhaka converted a penalty after Djibril Sow was fouled by Amar Memic.
“I told the players they have one hour to cheer up and lift their heads,” Barbarez said. “Life goes on. We have another match ahead of us and, trust me, they will be ready.”
The stadium's 70,000 seats were awash with Bosnia blue, with only scattered pockets of Swiss supporters visible. The crowd heavily favoured Bosnia, greeting the Swiss players with boos before kickoff and whistling whenever Switzerland launched attacks.
The emphatic win helped Switzerland recover from their disappointing 1-1 draw with Qatar in their opening match and puts them in a strong position heading into their decisive meeting with co-hosts Canada.
