Super Subs Spark Switzerland to First World Cup Win; Xhaka Silences Critics
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Switzerland secured their first win at the 2026 World Cup by beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 through a late goal barrage largely from a pair of substitutes to ease fears that their profligacy against Qatar in the opener would cost them.
Johan Manzambi and Rubén Vargas came off the bench together in the 71st minute and by the final whistle, they had scored the three goals to clinch a victory that put the Group B favorites on course for the knockout phase.
Bosnia were reduced to 10 men in the 80th minute, when the score was 1-0 to Switzerland, after Tarik Muharemović was sent off for bringing down Breel Embolo as last man.
Bosnia fans created a great atmosphere at the SoFi Stadium, and they had cause to cheer in added time at least, as Ermin Mahmić lashed in a consolation on the volley.
In the last act of the game, Granit Xhaka, who has been criticised in the Swiss media for supposedly being too negative in public statements, appeared to answer back by celebrating a fourth goal from the penalty spot before making a talking motion with his hand.
The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell and Greg O’Keeffe break down the key talking points from the match:
Swiss substitutes spring group favorites to life
For a while, there was more than a whiff of danger for Switzerland in L.A.
As this goalless contest drifted towards what might have been consecutive draws for both teams, it was Murat Yakin’s side with the most to lose.
Taking just a point from their opener with Qatar was sub-optimal, so another draw before their final game against a tough opponent — co-hosts Canada — may have left the group’s strongest side in danger of not progressing.
Certainly there was an increased risk that they would not have been in control of their own fate.
But the Swiss are considered Group B’s top dogs for a reason, and their strength in depth from the bench proved key, illustrated by their expected goals (xG) spike in the second half.
Yakin knew he had a game-changing ace up his sleeve, and he played it on 74 minutes with Freiburg’s Manzambi, the young midfielder tipped to be a superstar.
Two minutes after being introduced, he broke the deadlock, volleying a fierce first-time strike past goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj from close range.
It was a moment of undiluted quality in a previously patchy contest. Accurate and powerful, the shot was clocked at 79mph (127kph), and it changed the course of the game. Before long, Bosnia had 10 men, the Swiss had another goal and then, to put the icing on the cake, Manzambi showed his class again, side-footing a pass into the corner of the net with one touch to make it three. At 20 years and 247 days, he also became the youngest man (and first Swiss player) to score twice as a substitute at the World Cup.
On a night when veterans Xhaka and Edin Džeko asserted their quality (more on them below), it was a young contender who made the big difference.
Manzambi can play in most positions in the midfield: Essentially a central operator, he can do damage off the flanks too.
He was the epitome of a super sub on Thursday, but he may have kissed goodbye to the bench.
The same may be said for Sevilla’s Vargas, another disruptor who did not start. He created his fellow substitute’s goals and added another of his own with a neat finish from 12 yards. We will likely see more of him.
As for the Swiss, they went from rocky standing to being near certainties for the knockout phase. They have a 99 per cent chance of going through, with a 57 per cent chance of topping the group, according to The Athletic’s up-to-the-second World Cup tracker. – Greg O’Keeffe
Xhaka responds to the critics
Xhaka entered this match as the subject of much scrutiny in Switzerland. National tabloid Blick published a report accusing him of being a negative presence in camp and creating a “toxic” atmosphere. His teammates have denied that, but Xhaka, the Swiss captain, has been critical in the last couple of weeks. First, he said, “You can’t play like that, otherwise we will return home after three games,” following their 1-1 draw with Australia in a warm-up game.
Then, after Qatar’s late equaliser in a match Switzerland dominated, he said: “If you don’t take your chances up front, you’ll concede them. Now we have to get back down to earth and face reality. And the reality is that we’re not at all ready to talk about a title or our best World Cup yet.”
But Xhaka showed he can back up his words by delivering a high-quality performance. He was constantly looking for passes to break through Bosnia’s defence, first hitting a ball over the top that Embolo failed to craft into a chance, then firing another to Embolo that ignited a move that resulted in Remo Freuler shooting just wide.
Another sharp pass by Xhaka following a turnover found Embolo in a good position, but he wrestled with his marker instead of seizing onto the ball to find Dan Ndoye free at the far side of the box. It was also Xhaka’s cross that teed up Ndoye for his spectacular attempt in the second half. In all, Xhaka made 26 line-breaking passes, the most of any player in a game at this World Cup so far, and the most by a Switzerland player in a game on record at the tournament (since 2010).
But much as trying to win the game with attacking play, he was pleased with his teammates’ defensive work, at one point loudly clapping them for good positional play that forced Bosnia back.
In any case, Xhaka’s words seem to have the desired effect, with Switzerland easing to victory late on. – Laurie Whitwell
Džeko’s last dance
Searching for a solution to their drawing habit, Bosnia went for experience.
Going unbeaten in their last nine games heading into Thursday was no small feat, but with seven of those being draws, a glass-half-empty reading might conclude they lack a cutting edge.
So, like Croatia, who turned to 40-year-old Luka Modric in their opening game against England, and Portugal, who could not countenance being without Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, in their opener, Bosnia reached for their own vintage performer.
Enter Džeko, another 40-year-old with abundant experience across Europe’s elite teams, made his first outing of this tournament and, at times, turned back the clock.
Džeko, who spent the second half of last season helping Schalke win promotion back into Germany’s top flight, showed no dimming of energy or passion.
His nation’s all-time leading scorer with more appearances than anyone else, the former Inter, Roma and Manchester City forward sat out the opener against Canada, but toiled to make up for lost time in Los Angeles.
He covered plenty of ground, was involved in most of Bosnia’s main attacking moments, and got a booking for clattering into Manuel Akanji just past the hour-mark.
By then he had already been linking up well with Bosnia’s other best attacking threat, the highly-rated Kerim Alajbegović, who is 22 years Džeko’s junior. He even berated the exciting 18-year-old for delaying one pass, after a mazy run, that meant the striker’s eventual shot was blocked. In the end, he couldn’t quite find a way through, and was replaced on 64 minutes by 21-year-old Esmir Bajraktarević.
He won’t be playing 90 minutes often, but Džeko did enough to suggest he will continue to play a part for Bosnia in this tournament. He is the third 40-plus outfield performer, proving that class is permanent — even in the L.A. heat. – Greg O’Keeffe
The World Cup’s most breathtaking moment (even if it didn’t count)
Ndoye nearly hit the goal of the tournament when the score was 0-0.
He read Xhaka’s cross into the box superbly, shifting his body and leaping to connect sweetly with a bicycle kick that was heading for the roof of the net until Bosnia goalkeeper Vasilj saved well. The officials ruled Ndoye offside, by a fraction, so it wouldn’t have counted anyway — but we can still admire the skill, with a strike that would have rivaled Xherdan Shaqiri’s Euro 2016 acrobatics in the annals of Swiss tournament history. – Laurie Whitwell