Picture : Breel Embolo is the first Swiss player to score multiple goals at two different men’s World Cup editions (2 in 2022, 2 in 2026).
World Cup 2026 Statistics – Day 22 (July 2) – Round of 32
Switzerland vs Algeria 2-0
*Algeria are the only African nation to have lost by a margin of 2+ goals in the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup so far.
*Algeria have not won any of their last 10 World Cup matches against European nations (4 draws, 6 losses) since beating Germany 2-1 in 1982.
*Switzerland have won three consecutive World Cup matches for the first time in history.
*Switzerland won a World Cup knockout stage match for the first time since 9 June 1938 (against Germany, 4-2).
They had been eliminated in each of their previous seven knockout stage matches in the competition.
*Switzerland scored multiple goals in a World Cup knockout match for the first time since 26 June 1954, against Austria (when they scored five).
*Riyad Mahrez became the oldest outfield player (35 years) to feature in a knockout stage match for Algeria at a major tournament (AFCON, World Cup).
*Johan Mamzambi has 5 goal contributions for Switzerland (3 goals, 2 assists) in the 2026 World Cup: second-most goal for players before the age of 21 in the competition in XXI century, after Thomas Müller (Germany) – 8 (5 goals, 3 assists).
*Breel Embolo is the first Swiss player to score multiple goals at two different men’s World Cup editions (2 in 2022, 2 in 2026).
*Only Josef Hügi (6 goals) and Xherdan Shaqiri (5) have scored more World Cup goals for Switzerland than Embolo (4).
*Embolo scored against the team managed by Vladimir Petković, the coach who gave Embolo his World Cup debut in 2018.
He is the first player in the history of the World Cup to score against a team coached by the man who was his own national team coach at the tournament.
*Petković became the 7th coach to face a national team he once guided, and the 1st to do so in a knockout match.
Previous instances:
Bora Milutinović, 2002, with China vs Costa Rica (0-2)
Luis Suárez, 2014, with Honduras vs Ecuador (1-2)
Reinaldo Rueda, 2014, with Ecuador vs Honduras (2-1)
Jürgen Klinsmann, 2014, with USA vs Germany (0-1)
Carlos Queiroz, 2018, with Iran vs Portugal (1-1)
Paulo Bento, 2022, with South Korea vs Portugal (2-1)
*No coach has ever eliminated a country of their own nationality (whether by birth or naturalization) in a World Cup knockout stage.
Petković (who has a Swiss passport) was the 6th (out of 6) who has been eliminated, after:
József Nagy (Sweden) vs Hungary in 1938
Karl Rappan (Switzerland) vs Austria in 1954
Didi (Peru) vs Brazil in 1970
Ricardo La Volpe (Mexico) vs Argentina in 2006
Walid Regragui (Morocco) vs France in 2022