Johan Manzambi has taken the tournament by storm at the 2026 World Cup. However, he won’t be able to play as Switzerland take on Colombia in the Round of 16 of soccer’s biggest tournament. Needless to say, head coach Murat Yakin will have a tough challenge filling the void left by Manzambi.
Against all odds, the 20-year-old breakout striker suffered a physical setback in practice and will miss the Round of 16 game against Colombia. According to Blick, Manzambi suffered a knee injury during his team’s final training session ahead of the game.
His medical concerns immediately raised alarms, and after much speculation, Switzerland’s lineup confirmed that Manzambi won’t start and won’t even be on the bench against Colombia. His team will have to do without him in the summer afternoon-weather in Vancouver against Colombia.
Manzambi’s numbers at 2026 World Cup
Making his first appearance at a FIFA World Cup, Manzambi is putting the whole globe on notice. So far, he’s played four games at the 2026 World Cup, scoring three goals and assisting two more. It seems the Nati will go as far as Manzambi can take them, and that will be put to the test when they face Colombia without the young star.
Johan Manzambi of Switzerland.
Manzambi has led them this far. Now, the rest of the team must return the favor and find a way to win without him. Whether Manzambi’s injury is long-term or whether he could be back if Switzerland defeat Colombia and face Argentina in the quarterfinals remains to be seen. In that sense, what will happen if Switzerland win, tie, or lose against Colombia will have an even bigger impact.
Switzerland up for big test vs. Colombia
Regardless, Switzerland will have to slay some ghosts from the past. They have never defeated Colombia in a World Cup before (2-0 loss in 1994) and have never won consecutive knockout-stage games in World Cup history. Against Colombia, they get a chance to kill two birds with one stone. If they advance to the quarterfinals, Switzerland will play Argentina in Kansas City on July 11.
