World Cup 2026: Mexico, Switzerland... Two long droughts end

02.07.26 FT World Cup

Switzerland

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Algeria

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By defeating Algeria 2-0, Switzerland punched their ticket to the Round of 16 at the World Cup, putting an end to a long winless streak in World Cup knockout matches.

88 years... That's how long the Swiss had to wait to win another match in the second round of the World Cup. Their last victory at this stage dated back to the 1938 World Cup. Since then, the Nati had failed to win any of their seven knockout games.

After their victory over the Fennecs, Switzerland now await the winner of the Round of 32 clash between Colombia and Ghana, which will take place in the early hours of Saturday at 1:30 a.m. GMT.

Switzerland isn't the only team to have finally broken their second-round World Cup curse. Earlier, Mexico did the same by overcoming Ecuador 2-0 in the Round of 32. That triumph snapped a winless run in knockout matches that had stretched back over eight games since the 1986 World Cup.

El Tri will now face England, who edged DR Congo 2-1, in the Round of 16, aiming to keep their dream alive in front of their home supporters.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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