VANCOUVER/CAIRO/BRUSSELS, JUL 8 (AP): In a match with few fireworks, the Swiss were patient against the Colombians and their enthusiastic fans.
After a scoreless draw, Ruben Vargas converted the decisive penalty and Switzerland advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals, beating Colombia 4-3 in a shootout on Tuesday.
Switzerland will face defending champion Argentina on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Switzerland had not reached the quarterfinals of a World Cup since hosting the tournament in 1954. And the Swiss were short-handed Tuesday without young midfielder Johan Manzambi, who was injured in training on Monday.
Vargas, who has scored two goals in the World Cup, also left Monday’s training early but came on in stoppage time at the end of regulation. In the shootout, Colombia defender Davinson Sánchez’s penalty attempt hit the crossbar and Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel saved an attempt by Cucho Hernández.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was among those at BC Place, where the sellout crowd of 52,497 was overwhelmingly clad in yellow in support of Colombia.
Colombia failed to qualify for the last World Cup in 2022. Los Cafeteros made the quarterfinals at the 2014 tournament in Brazil, defeating Uruguay in the round of 16 before losing to the host country 2-1.
The Swiss reached the round of 16 at the past three World Cups but failed to advance with a smaller field of 32 teams. The match was tightly contested by two teams with contrasting styles, the Swiss with a more organized and methodical approach and Colombia more attack-oriented and physical. Switzerland had a slight edge in possession.
Manzambi, a 20-year-old midfielder who plays for German club Freiburg, has three goals in the World Cup, becoming one of the tournament’s breakout stars. The Swiss were also without Luca Jaquez and midfielder Michel Aebischer.
Gustavo Puerta had the first good chance for Colombia with a shot from distance in the 21st minute that was pushed away by Kobel.
The Swiss got one of their best opportunities in the 30th with Fabian Reider’s blast at goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, who punched the ball down. Minutes later, Vargas smothered another attempt from Dan Ndoye.
The Swiss had a free kick in the 52nd minute, but Reider’s attempt curled around the wall and went into the side netting.
In the first extra time period, Jhon Lucumi’s header hit the crossbar and caromed away as Colombia put pressure on Kobel.
Colombia and Switzerland also met in the group stage at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, with Los Cafeteros winning 2-0.
Egypt files complaint to FIFA, demands referees be kicked out
The Egyptian Football Federation (EFF) has reportedly approached the governing body FIFA, lodging a formal protest against the decisions of referee Francois Letexier after their team suffered a dramatic 3-2 defeat against the defending champions Argentina in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Egypt appeared close to a historic upset after taking a 2-0 lead, but Argentina produced a late comeback, with Lionel Messi playing a decisive role by scoring one goal and setting up another before Enzo Fernandez completed the turnaround in stoppage time.
However, the match left the Egyptian camp furious as several key decisions by the officials went against the team, including a disallowed goal following a VAR review and a penalty appeal that was not reviewed in the buildup to Argentina’s winning goal.
According to a report in Spanish publication Diario AS, the president of the Egypt Football Association, Hany Abo Rida, has lodged a formal complaint with FIFA against French referee Francois Letexier and his officiating team.
The report further states that the complaint calls for an investigation into what Egypt describes as controversial decisions that went against the Pharaohs. The federation has also officially requested that the French officiating team be removed from the remainder of the tournament because of what it considers crucial errors. Earlier, the Egyptian coach Hasan also showed disappointment with several decisions. He also suggested that the outcome was affected by factors beyond what happened on the pitch, even implying that there was a desire for Messi and Argentina to remain in the tournament.
“We looked better than the reigning champion – better in everything -, but the result was influenced by internal factors on the pitch and external factors off it,” Hassan said. “Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running,” he said in the post-match press conference.
“In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champion received support at every level,” he added.
Hassan was particularly frustrated by the refereeing of French official Francois Letexier and pointed to two major incidents that he felt changed the course of the game: Egypt’s disallowed goal and a late penalty appeal involving Alexis Mac Allister before Fernandez’s decisive strike.
FBI probes Argentine Football Association over money laundering
Agents from the FBI have launched an investigation into the finances of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) in the United States, according to reports from Fox Sports citing Argentine newspaper La Nación. The probe, overseen by the U.S. Department of Justice, is focused on suspicions of money laundering and the handling of hundreds of millions of dollars through AFA’s financial systems.
The inquiry is examining whether criminal conduct occurred under the leadership of Claudio Tapia and Pablo Toviggino, with particular attention to TourProdEnter LLC, the company managing AFA’s international commercial agreements. Businessman Guillermo Tofoni was reportedly questioned by the FBI during the World Cup, and investigators are seeking witnesses with direct knowledge of AFA’s operations. Former officials from President Javier Milei’s government may also be summoned, given their access to sensitive information about the association’s financial dealings.
The preliminary investigation began taking shape in 2025 and has now intensified with testimonies being recorded. Meanwhile, Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Egypt in the World Cup Round of 16 has sparked controversy, with debates over refereeing decisions and FIFA’s tournament management adding further tension to the football body’s current challenges.
1st Quarterfinal
France Vs Morocco
1:30 am (July 10)