Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina: Manzambi Brace Sends Swiss Top of Group B
It took patience, but when the dam broke it burst spectacularly. Switzerland beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 in Los Angeles on 18 June 2026, a late flurry of goals sweeping them to the summit of Group B at the FIFA World Cup. The headline belonged to substitute Johan Manzambi, who marked his maiden World Cup goals with a stunning brace.
A cagey first half
For long stretches this was nothing like the eventual scoreline. Bosnia set up with discipline and structure, sitting deep and frustrating a Swiss side that dominated possession without finding the cutting edge. The two teams went into the break level, and an upset did not feel far-fetched.
The substitutes change everything
The contest turned after the interval. Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic was sent off for a foul on Breel Embolo, leaving his side to play out the closing stages with ten men. The tilt in the balance proved decisive. In the 74th minute, Manzambi came off the bench and crashed home an unstoppable first-time strike to break the deadlock.
Ten minutes later, fellow substitute Ruben Vargas doubled the advantage in the 84th minute. Manzambi then completed his brace in the 90th, becoming the youngest player to score two or more goals in a single World Cup match for Switzerland, and the first to bag multiple Swiss World Cup goals after coming off the bench.
There was still late drama. Mahmic pulled one back for Bosnia in the 90+3rd minute, only for captain Granit Xhaka to restore the four-goal cushion from the penalty spot deep in stoppage time, in the 90+7th, sealing the 4-1 result.
Key performers
The man of the match was unquestionably Johan Manzambi, whose two goals transformed the game from the bench. Veteran Xhaka again anchored the midfield and finished the scoring with his composed penalty, while Vargas’s strike underlined the strength of the Swiss bench.
What it means
Two wins from two leave Switzerland top of Group B and in commanding shape to reach the knockout rounds, with a healthy goal difference to bolster their position. For Bosnia, collapsing after the red card is a heavy blow to their qualification hopes, and they will need a result in their final group game.
For more coverage, see our match reports, follow the live scores, or browse the full fixtures.
Disclaimer: Scorers, minutes and statistics in this report are compiled from post-match public coverage and may be subject to revision; please refer to FIFA’s official records for confirmation.
