Switzerland have finally broken their long-standing World Cup knockout curse, defeating Algeria 2-0 in Vancouver to advance to the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Goals from Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye secured the victory at BC Place — ending a painful run of seven consecutive knockout-stage eliminations that stretched back 88 years.

Embolo opens the scoring

Algeria began the match with energy and intent, putting the Swiss defence under early pressure. However, it was Switzerland who struck first. In the 10th minute, a driving run and cross from Manzambi found Embolo in space, and the striker made no mistake to give his side the lead.

Algeria's most dangerous attacker, Riyad Mahrez, was kept largely quiet throughout the first half as Switzerland's defensive structure limited his influence on the game.

Ndoye wraps it up

The second half began exactly as Switzerland would have hoped. Just one minute after the restart, Nottingham Forest winger Ndoye produced a composed finish to double the advantage and effectively end the contest.

Mahrez did manage one meaningful opportunity in the 50th minute, but his effort was blocked by his former Manchester City team-mate Manuel Akanji, denying Algeria any route back into the match.

The evening's only blemish for Switzerland came in the 81st minute, when substitute Fabian Rieder squandered an open goal and passed up the chance to add a third. It was, however, a minor footnote on what proved a commanding performance from Murat Yakin's side.

What's next

Switzerland will now await the outcome of the last-32 tie between Colombia and Ghana, with the winner set to face them in Vancouver next Tuesday — kick-off at 9pm.