Switzerland defeats Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 to reignite its World Cup campaign, while Canada secured a historic first-ever World Cup victory with a dominant 6-0 win over Qatar on Thursday.
At SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Switzerland delivered an impressive performance to move level on points with Canada at the top of Group B. Johan Manzambi scored twice, while Ruben Vargas and Granit Xhaka added late goals to seal a convincing victory.
The result kept Switzerland firmly in contention for a place in the knockout stages and strengthened hopes of progressing beyond the last 16 for the first time in this World Cup.
Bosnia-Herzegovina, who qualified for the tournament after upsetting Italy in the playoffs, suffered a major setback. The team now has just one point from two matches and faces an uphill battle to advance.
Earlier in Vancouver, Canada overwhelmed Qatar 6-0 to record the country’s first World Cup win after losing all six of its previous matches at the 1986 and 2022 tournaments.
Jonathan David starred with a hat-trick, while Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba also found the net. Canada benefited from an own goal by Mohammad Manai as they produced one of the most dominant displays of the tournament so far.
The victory was overshadowed by a serious injury to Canadian midfielder Ismael Kone. He was stretchered off after a heavy challenge from Qatar’s Assim Madibo early in the second half.
Madibo initially received a yellow card, but officials later upgraded the punishment to a red card following a review. Canada coach Jesse Marsch later revealed that Kone was being treated in hospital for a suspected broken leg and would likely require surgery.
The injury left players and staff visibly shaken, with Marsch describing Kone as a key figure in the team’s dressing room.
Qatar were reduced to nine men after Homam El-Amin had already been sent off in the first half for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Canada took full advantage of the numerical superiority and added three more goals after the break.
The result leaves Canada and Switzerland tied on four points in Group B. However, Canada’s superior goal difference means a draw in their final group match on June 24 would be enough for them to finish top of the group.
Elsewhere, South Africa kept its slim qualification hopes alive with a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic in Atlanta.
Michal Sadilek gave the Czech Republic the lead before Teboho Mokoena converted a penalty to earn South Africa a valuable point. Both teams now have one point and will likely need a win in their final group match to reach the knockout rounds.
Meanwhile, Mexico became the first team to secure a place in the knockout stage after defeating South Korea 1-0 in Guadalajara. The victory guaranteed Mexico’s progression from Group A and continued the co-hosts’ impressive run in the tournament.