Switzerland defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 in Group B of the FIFA World Cup 2026, with all four goals coming after the 74th minute. Substitute Johan Manzambi scored twice and Granit Xhaka converted a late penalty to send Murat Yakin’s side to the top of the group standings.
🔥 Quick Read
- Switzerland win 4-1, top Group B
- Manzambi scores twice as a substitute
- Muharemovic sent off in 80th minute
- All four Swiss goals came after the 74th minute
- Bosnia’s Mahmic scores late consolation
Swiss Subs Explode Late to Take Group Lead
Switzerland came into this Group B fixture having drawn 1-1 with Qatar in matchday one, while Bosnia-Herzegovina had also been held 1-1 by Canada. Both sides needed a win, but for the first 73 minutes at SoFi Stadium the match remained locked at 0-0, with Murat Yakin’s side, comfortably the stronger team on paper, unable to find a breakthrough against a well-organised Bosnian defensive shape backed by a fervent travelling support.
Everything changed in the 74th minute when 20-year-old substitute Johan Manzambi, introduced just under three minutes earlier, volleyed a half-cleared cross into the roof of the net.
Bosnia’s resistance then cracked further when Tarik Muharemovic was shown a straight red card in the 80th minute for a dangerous foul on Breel Embolo as the last man. Rubén Vargas added a second in the 84th minute, bending a low effort into the net, and Manzambi completed his brace in the 90th minute from a Vargas pass.
Bosnian substitute Ermin Mahmic pulled one back with a volley deep in stoppage time, but Granit Xhaka had the final word, rolling in from the penalty spot to make it 4-1 and confirm Switzerland’s commanding position at the top of Group B.
Manzambi’s Volley and Muharemovic’s Red Card Turn the Tie
The match’s defining sequence began in the 74th minute when Manzambi met a half-cleared cross on the volley, rocketing it into the roof of the net just under three minutes after coming on, becoming the youngest player ever to score a World Cup brace as a substitute.
Six minutes later, Manzambi’s through ball played in Embolo, and Muharemovic slid in as the last man to earn a straight red card, the first dismissal in the 2026 World Cup since its opening match.
Vargas then bent in a low finish in the 84th minute, and Xhaka converted from the spot in stoppage time to complete a rout that had looked unlikely for over an hour.
Manzambi Announces Himself on the World Stage
Johan Manzambi, 20, turned the match entirely on its head. The Freiburg forward came off the bench with the game goalless and scored within three minutes of his introduction, producing a technically demanding volley that flew into the roof of the net.
He then played a key role in the red card that swung the tie before calmly side-footing in his second goal in the 90th minute to complete a historic double, becoming the youngest player to score a brace as a substitute in a World Cup match.
Rubén Vargas was also sharp, scoring Switzerland’s second and setting up the third, and was named the match’s top-rated player.
Group B Wide Open Ahead of Final Matchday
With three points from their second group game, Switzerland sit at the top of Group B and are in a strong position to reach the knockout stage. Bosnia-Herzegovina, despite the heavy defeat, still retain a mathematical chance of progressing, though their remaining fixture will now be played under the shadow of Muharemovic’s suspension following his red card.
For Yakin’s side, the result erases much of the concern that followed the Qatar draw, though Nikola Elvedi’s yellow card adds a minor caution for accumulation. Both teams will need to monitor their disciplinary situation carefully heading into matchday three, with the group still not fully resolved.
Switzerland now know three points from their final group game will confirm a place in the last 16; Bosnia must win and hope results elsewhere go their way.
