Switzerland beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 in Group B of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 18. Substitute Johan Manzambi scored twice (74th and 90th minutes), fellow substitute Ruben Vargas scored in the 84th minute, and captain Granit Xhaka converted a stoppage-time penalty in the 90+7th minute. Bosnia's Tarik Muharemovic was shown a straight red card in the 80th minute for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, and Ermin Mahmic scored a stunning consolation for the ten men in the 90+3rd minute. The result moves Switzerland to four points from two games and top of Group B.
Seventy-Three Minutes of Nothing, Sixteen Minutes of Everything
Both nations arrived in Los Angeles needing a response. Switzerland had been moments from victory over Qatar in their opener before conceding a cruel 94th-minute own goal; Bosnia and Herzegovina had surrendered a lead against co-hosts Canada in the second half. With all four teams in Group B level on a single point heading into Matchday 2, this fixture carried real weight in the race for the knockout stage.
For the better part of an hour and a quarter, it threatened to deliver very little. Switzerland dominated possession — 68% of it, with 322 accurate passes — and Granit Xhaka orchestrated patient build-up from midfield, repeatedly switching play to stretch a compact and disciplined Bosnian defence. But Murat Yakin's side could not find the breakthrough their control deserved. Dan Ndoye drilled a low effort into the side netting, Remo Freuler did the same shortly after, and even a spectacular overhead-kick attempt from Ndoye in the second half was kept out by Nikola Vasilj, only for the offside flag to render it academic anyway.
Then, in the space of sixteen frantic minutes, the match was turned upside down. A debutant substitute scored within minutes of arriving. A red card reduced Bosnia to ten men. Two more goals followed in a flash, before Bosnia produced a moment of real quality of their own — and Switzerland still found the final word with virtually the last kick of the game.
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Dan Ndoye had Switzerland's best early opportunities, drilling a low effort into the side netting before testing the Bosnian goal again. Remo Freuler followed suit with a similar miss soon after. A pattern that would define much of the contest — Swiss control without a Swiss breakthrough.
56
Switzerland
⚡ Ndoye's Brilliant Bicycle Kick — Offside Anyway
A Moment of Real Quality, Wiped Out by the Flag
Dan Ndoye produced a genuinely brilliant bicycle kick that was tipped over by Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj — only for replays to later show Ndoye had been offside in the build-up regardless. A flash of quality that, in the end, changed nothing about the scoreline.
69
Bosnia & Herz.
🧤 Kobel Denies Dedic From Distance
A Rare Bosnian Opportunity
Amar Dedic produced a powerful strike from 25 yards that forced a smart save from Gregor Kobel. One of Bosnia's few genuine moments of attacking promise across a contest in which Switzerland had otherwise controlled almost every phase of play without finding a way through.
74
Switzerland
🏆 GOAL — Switzerland 1-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Johan Manzambi — A Stunner Within Minutes of Arriving
The deadlock finally broke, and in spectacular fashion. Johan Manzambi, the 20-year-old Freiburg midfielder and Geneva native, had been on the pitch for just 166 seconds when he crashed in a stunning volley to give Switzerland the breakthrough their dominance had long demanded. His first ever World Cup goal, and the catalyst for an utterly extraordinary final quarter of an hour.
80
Bosnia & Herz.
🟥 RED CARD — Last Man Sent Off
Tarik Muharemovic Dismissed
Just six minutes after Manzambi's opener, Bosnia's afternoon got considerably more difficult. Manzambi's through ball played Breel Embolo clean through, and Tarik Muharemovic, as the last defender, panicked and slid in, catching Embolo on the heel just outside the box. Referee Joao Pinheiro had no hesitation in showing a straight red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity — the first sending-off at the 2026 World Cup since Mexico and South Africa shared three red cards between them in the tournament opener. Bosnia, already 1-0 down, were reduced to ten men with a quarter of an hour still to play.
84
Switzerland
⚽ Goal — Switzerland 2-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Ruben Vargas
Switzerland made their numerical advantage count almost immediately. Breel Embolo, fresh from drawing the red card, collected the ball from Manzambi and slipped a clever pass across the box to Ruben Vargas, who finished with a first-time effort beyond Vasilj for a no-doubt goal. Substitutes Vargas and Manzambi had now been directly involved in both of Switzerland's goals. Assist: Breel Embolo.
90
Switzerland
⚽ Goal — Switzerland 3-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Johan Manzambi (2nd)
The Manzambi-Vargas partnership struck again, this time in reverse. Xhaka found Vargas in space down the left, and the winger pulled the ball back from the byline for Manzambi to side-foot home his second of the match — a sublime turn-and-finish that completed a remarkable brace for the teenager on what was rapidly becoming the night of his young career. Assist: Ruben Vargas.
90+3
Bosnia & Herz.
⚽ Goal — Switzerland 3-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Ermin Mahmic
Bosnia, down to ten men and 3-0 behind, refused to leave without making a mark of their own. Ermin Mahmic, on for just over a minute as a substitute and playing only his third international cap, put his laces through a genuinely lovely volley in traffic that beat Kobel all ends up. His first ever international goal, and a moment that gave Bosnia's travelling supporters something to celebrate amid the chaos.
90+7
Switzerland
⚽ Goal — Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina (Penalty)
Granit Xhaka (Penalty)
With virtually the final action of the match, Switzerland restored their three-goal cushion. Amar Memic was penalised for bringing down Djibril Sow inside the box, and VAR confirmed the decision. Captain Granit Xhaka stepped up and rolled his penalty into the opposite corner from where Vasilj dived, sealing a 4-1 victory that — for fifteen frantic minutes at the end — had turned a tepid afternoon into one of the most dramatic finishes of the tournament so far.
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Muharemovic 80' — denying clear goalscoring opportunity (first WC red since opener)
Historic Context
Edin Dzeko (40) becomes 4th outfield player to start a WC match in his 40s, joining Modric & Ronaldo
Substitute Impact
All 4 Swiss goals scored or assisted by second-half substitutes
Group B Context
Switzerland move to 4 points, top of Group B after Matchday 2
Venue
SoFi Stadium · Los Angeles, California · June 18, 2026
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Goalkeeper Spotlight
🧤 Gregor Kobel — Composed Behind a Dominant Defence
Switzerland GK · 1 Conceded · Key Save on Dedic
Conceded
1
Mahmic's stunning volley
Key Save
69'
Denied Dedic from 25 yards
Result
4–1
Switzerland's first WC win
Group Position
1st
Group B after Matchday 2
Gregor Kobel had a relatively comfortable evening for long periods behind a Swiss defence that allowed Bosnia very few clear sights of goal, producing a smart save to deny Amar Dedic's powerful effort from distance in the second half. Beaten only by Ermin Mahmic's quality finish deep into stoppage time — a goal few goalkeepers in the world would have stopped — Kobel's clean sheet for the vast majority of the match underlined a thoroughly professional team performance behind the dramatic late goalscoring at the other end.
Nikola Vasilj — A Difficult Night Despite Heroics Earlier On
Bosnia and Herzegovina goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj had moments of real quality earlier in the match, brilliantly parrying Dan Ndoye's spectacular overhead kick out for a corner in the second half — not realising at the time that the forward had been flagged offside regardless — and stretching to deny a tight-angle Breel Embolo header. Ultimately, with his side reduced to ten men and Switzerland's substitutes finding a different gear entirely, Vasilj could do little about the four goals he eventually conceded, including Xhaka's composed penalty with the final action of the game.
🧤
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MF · Switzerland · 2 goals off the bench · 166 seconds to first
9.1
RV
Ruben Vargas
FW · Switzerland · Goal + assist · Decisive sub
8.4
BE
Breel Embolo
FW · Switzerland · Assist · Drew the red card
7.6
GX
Granit Xhaka
MF · Switzerland · Penalty goal · Orchestrated tempo
7.5
EM
Ermin Mahmic DEBUT GOAL
FW · Bosnia & Herz. · First international goal, 3rd cap
7.2
ED
Edin Dzeko
FW · Bosnia & Herz. · 63 mins · Joins Modric & Ronaldo in 40s club
6.2
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Group B Standings
Group B Standings — After Matchday 2
#
Team
P
W
D
L
GD
Pts
1
🇨🇭 Switzerland
2
1
1
0
+3
4
2
🇨🇦 Canada
2
1
1
0
+1
4
3
🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herz.
2
0
1
1
-3
1
4
🇶🇦 Qatar
2
0
1
1
-1
1
Seventy-three minutes of patient, profligate Swiss control. Sixteen minutes of pure World Cup theatre. By full time, Switzerland had their first win of the tournament, Bosnia had a red card and a moment to remember, and Group B had an entirely new complexion.
Elite Sport Editorial Analysis · Group B · FIFA World Cup 2026 · Los Angeles · June 18
What This Means Going Forward
🇨🇭
Switzerland — Bench Strength Pays Off
A first win of the tournament, and one built almost entirely on the impact of substitutes. Murat Yakin will take real encouragement from the depth on display, even as questions linger about why his starting XI took so long to find a breakthrough against organised opposition. Switzerland move top of Group B.
📅 Switzerland's next Group B fixture — TBC
🇧🇦
Bosnia & Herzegovina — Still Alive, Must Respond
A harsh scoreline given how competitive this contest was for long periods, compounded by a red card that fundamentally altered the game's complexion. Bosnia still have a route to the knockout stage but will need a positive result in their final group match and help from elsewhere in the table.
📅 Bosnia & Herzegovina's final Group B fixture — TBC
Conclusion
Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina. A scoreline that, taken alone, suggests a one-sided demolition. The reality of this match was far more layered — 73 minutes of frustrated Swiss dominance, a red card that changed everything, and a five-goal, sixteen-minute eruption that delivered one of the most dramatic finishes of the tournament's opening week. Johan Manzambi's introduction from the bench will be remembered as the turning point; his stunning brace, combined with Ruben Vargas's goal and assist, underlined the strength in depth Murat Yakin now has at his disposal heading into the knockout rounds.
For Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is genuine credit to be taken from a performance that, for three-quarters of the match, gave a clearly superior opponent very little. Edin Dzeko's record-equalling appearance and Ermin Mahmic's stunning consolation goal offer individual moments of pride amid collective disappointment. Switzerland now sit top of Group B after Matchday 2 — but this was a far closer contest than the final score will suggest to anyone who didn't watch all ninety-eight minutes of it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Switzerland beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 in Group B of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 18. Substitute Johan Manzambi scored twice (74th and 90th minutes), fellow substitute Ruben Vargas scored in the 84th minute, and captain Granit Xhaka converted a stoppage-time penalty in the 90+7th minute. Ermin Mahmic scored a consolation goal for Bosnia in the 90+3rd minute.
Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic was shown a straight red card in the 80th minute for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, catching Breel Embolo on the heel as the last defender. It was the first red card shown at the 2026 World Cup since the tournament's opening match between Mexico and South Africa.
Switzerland's match was goalless and largely uneventful until substitute Johan Manzambi scored a stunning volley just 166 seconds after coming on in the 74th minute. Fellow substitute Ruben Vargas then scored in the 84th minute and assisted Manzambi's second goal in the 90th minute, with the two substitutes directly involved in three of Switzerland's four goals.
By starting for Bosnia and Herzegovina against Switzerland, Edin Dzeko became the fourth outfield player in World Cup history to start a match in his 40s, joining a group that also included Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo, both of whom achieved the same feat earlier in the same week of the 2026 tournament.
Switzerland moved to four points from two games and took control of Group B with the win. Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite the defeat, still have a chance of reaching the knockout stage but must win their final group match and hope for favourable results elsewhere.
Switzerland Vs Bosnia & Herzegovina: Fifa World Cup 2026 Match Report
