Algeria's journey at the 2026 World Cup comes to an end

The Algerian people had no chance to celebrate as expected after their national team was eliminated in the knockout stage. Supporter Mohamed Wassim Hamouche said he and many Algerian fans felt regret after the match, but acknowledged that the Swiss team had performed better. He expressed hope that the Algerian team would advance further in future World Cups.

Switzerland's two goals were scored by Breel Embolo in the 11th minute and Dan Ndoye at the start of the second half. With this result, Switzerland will face the winner of the match between Colombia and Ghana in the Round of 16, scheduled to take place on July 7 in Vancouver, Canada.

This is the fourth consecutive time Switzerland has reached the knockout stage of the World Cup. However, the team is still searching for its first victory in the knockout round since the 1938 World Cup. Although they have reached the Round of 16 in the last three World Cups, Switzerland has not been able to advance further.

Meanwhile, Algeria's World Cup journey ends in the Round of 16. This is the first time the North African team has returned to the biggest football event since 2014, when they reached the Round of 16 before losing to eventual champions Germany.

Algeria started the match proactively and applied pressure in the first 10 minutes. However, in the 11th minute, young talent Johan Manzambi made a sprint down the right flank before crossing for Embolo to easily tap in the opening goal. At the start of the second half, Ndoye fired a shot from outside the box, beating goalkeeper Luca Zidane, to double the lead for Switzerland. The European team created several more dangerous opportunities in the remaining time but failed to add to their tally, securing a 2-0 victory.

In the group stage, Algeria advanced as one of the best third-placed teams after a 3-3 draw with Austria, in which captain Riyad Mahrez scored a brace.

On the Swiss side, 20-year-old midfielder Johan Manzambi continued to impress with an assist, bringing his tournament tally to two goals and two assists in four matches. Meanwhile, Algeria's coach Vladimir Petković was unable to lead his team to victory against the very national team he had managed from 2014 to 2021.

In the starting lineup, the Algerian coach made three changes compared to the match against Jordan, and opted for a defensive-minded formation. In goal, Luca Zidane returned as the starting goalkeeper instead of Oussama Benbot. In defense, Rayan Aït-Nouri reappeared as the left-back, while Rafik Belghali continued on the right flank. In midfield, Ramiz Zerrouki returned to the starting lineup as a defensive midfielder. Meanwhile, Ibrahim Maza continued to take on the role of playmaker. Up front, coach Petković used Riyad Mahrez as a free striker instead of Amine Gouiri, alongside Farès Chaïbi.