Vancouver: Granit Xhaka (L) of Switzerland reacts during the group B match between Switzerland and Canada at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at BC Place Vancouver in Vancouver, Canada, June 24, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua via IANS)
Vancouver, July 2 (IANS) Switzerland will take on Algeria in a crucial FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 32 clash at BC Place, Vancouver, on Friday (IST).
The Swiss finished top of Group B unbeaten, while their opponents had an epic path to reaching the knockout stages, drawing a thrilling last game with Austria 3-3 that included conceding a stoppage-time equaliser, which meant they finished third in Group J instead of second.
Switzerland are aiming to reach the Round of 16 of the World Cup for the fourth consecutive occasion, while Algeria are hoping to record a first win in the knockout stage, having fallen at the last-16 hurdle in 2014 to eventual winners Germany.
Coach Vladimir Petkovic knows his opponents inside out, having been in charge of Switzerland for seven years and at three major tournaments, including the 2018 World Cup. The two nations have never played a competitive fixture before, but there have been two previous friendlies between them – both played in the 1980s and both won by Switzerland.
The winners of this Round of 32 game will get to remain in Vancouver to face either Colombia or Ghana in the Round of 16 on 7 July.
How to watch Switzerland vs Austria live in India:
Live streaming and live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 football matches will be available on the ZEE5 platform and app in India. A subscription will be needed.
Live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be available on the Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD TV channels in India.
Key details:
Date and kick-off time: Friday, July 3, 08:30 AM (IST)
Venue: BC Place, Vancouver
Referee: Yael Falcon
Squads:
Switzerland -
Goalkeepers: Gregor Kobel, Yvon Mvogo, Jonas Omlin.
Defenders: Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, Ricardo Rodríguez, Silvan Widmer, Cédric Zesiger, Eray Cömert, Ulisses Garcia, Lucas Blondel, Becir Omeragic.
Midfielders: Granit Xhaka, Denis Zakaria, Remo Freuler, Ardon Jashari, Vincent Sierro, Michel Aebischer, Fabian Rieder, Dan Ndoye, Ruben Vargas, Renato Steffen, Filip Ugrinic.
Forwards: Breel Embolo, Zeki Amdouni, Noah Okafor, Joel Monteiro, Kwadwo Duah, Albian Hajdari.
Austria-
Goalkeepers: Patrick Pentz, Alexander Schlager, Florian Wiegele
Defenders: David Affengruber, David Alaba, Kevin Danso, Marco Friedl, Philipp Lienhart, Phillipp Mwene, Stefan Posch, Alexander Prass, Michael
Svoboda
Midfielders: Christoph Baumgartner, Carney Chukwuemeka, Florian Grillitsch, Konrad Laimer, Marcel Sabitzer, Xaver Schlager, Nicolas Seiwald, Romano Schmid, Alessandro Schöpf, Paul Wanner, Patrick Wimmer
Forwards: Marko Arnautovic, Michael Gregoritsch, Sasa Kalajdzic
