Manzambi nets brace as Switzerland thumps Bosnia 4-1

Switzerland defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Thursday, June 18, 2026, with substitute Johan Manzambi scoring twice, including a 74th‑minute volley, and Granit Xhaka converting a stoppage‑time penalty. Rubén Vargas added a late strike after Tarik Muharemovic was sent off, and Ermin Mahmic scored for Bosnia in injury time.

Switzerland dominated possession in the first half but struggled to create clear chances in the final third, while Bosnia held less possession and generated fewer opportunities. The Swiss side increased their attacking intensity after the break, with Dan Ndoye leading the effort.

Substitute Johan Manzambi entered the field for Dan Ndoye and, three minutes later, unleashed a volley after connecting with Amar Memic's attempted clearing header. The 20‑year‑old, a native of Geneva who plays for German club Freiburg, celebrated his first World Cup goal.

Tarik Muharemovic was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle on Breel Embolo just outside the penalty area. Embolo retrieved the ball from Manzambi and delivered a pass across the front to Rubén Vargas for a straightforward finish.

Rubén Vargas added a goal in the 84th minute, capitalising on the numerical advantage. Granit Xhaka later converted a penalty in stoppage time to complete the scoring.

Ermin Mahmic found the net in second‑half injury time for Bosnia, narrowing the deficit. Despite the goal, Bosnia retains a legitimate chance of reaching the knockout stage of its second World Cup appearance.

Edin Dzeko started and played 63 minutes for Bosnia, becoming the fourth outfield player to start a World Cup match in his 40s, joining Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo in that exclusive group.

Sergej Barbarez's side had previously drawn with co‑host Canada and qualified for the tournament by upsetting Wales and Italy in the playoff round.