Match story
- Switzerland created the clearer chances on xG (2.56 vs 0.73, Δ 1.83).
- Switzerland fired more attempts (11 vs 8 shots).
- Switzerland was more accurate in front of goal (45% on target vs 25%).
- Algeria held more of the ball (55% possession).
Switzerland defeated Algeria 2-0 in the World Cup. The fixture is part of the Round of 32 stage in the 2026 season. The match was played at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. Y. Perez officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Switzerland vs Algeria meeting in World Cup with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Switzerland and Algeria. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
World CupRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Celtic and Rangers are both chasing winger Fares Ghedjemis of Frosinone, although the 23-year-old Algerian is thought to be keen on staying in Italy with a bigger club. Fulham are to rival Everton in the race to sign Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston. Celtic want a £25m fee for Arne Engels after rejecting an offer from West Ham for the 22-year-old who has two years to run on his contract.
AC Milan have made their first move in an attempt to sign Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Ibrahim Maza, according to Calciomercato.The Rossoneri opened talks with the Algeria international’s r...
The IFAB acknowledged there was an error in Breel Embolo's sending-off during the 2026 World Cup quarterfinal clash between Switzerland and Argentina. Seventeen days after Argentina‘s 3-1 extra-time win over Switzerland in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, the International Football Association Board has admitted there was an error in the red card shown to Breel Embolo during that match. The Swiss forward was sent off in the 72nd minute after a VAR review resulted in a second yellow card for simulation, a decision that shifted the momentum of the game. The sequence began when referee Joao Pinheiro had booked Leandro Paredes, believing he had committed a foul on the Swiss forward. The play was reviewed under the “mistaken identity” concept, but upon noticing how blatant the simulation was, the Portuguese official showed Embolo the second yellow card, something that, according to the governing body of the Laws of the Game, was mistaken. In a circular published on Tuesday, the governing body clarified that a yellow card, when it isn’t already a second yellow, can only be reviewed to correct the identity of the offending player, explaining the offense itself cannot be reviewed or altered once the identity has been fixed. Referee Joao Pinheiro shows a red card to Breel Embolo #7 of Switzerland. (Getty Images) That distinction is what made Embolo’s dismissal improper: the process was designed to fix who gets the card in case of booking someone who didn’t commit the foul, not to reclassify the type of infraction that led to it. A similar situation happened earlier at the World Cup A practically identical sequence played out earlier in the tournament, during the group stage clash between the United States and Paraguay. American defender Tim Ream was originally booked for a foul on Miguel Almiron, and VAR intervened to review the play. Just as with Paredes and Embolo, the review corrected the identity of the offending player, Ream’s card was rescinded, and Almiron was booked instead for simulation. It’s the same mechanism the IFAB has now flagged as improperly applied in the Embolo case, underscoring that the issue wasn’t isolated to a single match.
Portuguese giants Benfica begin their Europa League qualifying journey on Thursday, traveling to Switzerland to face St Gallen at the Sitterstadion. Despite the World Cup only just finishing, European clubs are already back in competitive action, and this tie marks the first leg of the second qualifying round. Verdict: Away win Best odds: 2/5 Bookmaker: […] The post Prediction: St. Gallen vs Benfica appeared first on SoccerNews.
Despite entering as one of the favorites, Croatia were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup in the Round of 16. Following this, Luka Modrić has reportedly decided to retire from the national team. However, he appears set to continue his professional career for one more season with AC Milan. Croatia have been one of the most impressive national teams in recent years, reaching a World Cup final and finishing third at Qatar 2022. However, they were eliminated in the Round of 16 of the 2026 edition. Following this, Luka Modrić has reportedly decided to retire from the national team, bringing a golden era to an end. In addition, he appears determined to extend his contract with AC Milan. According to Andrea Ramazzotti, via La Gazzetta dello Sport, Luka Modrić has decided to end his international career with Croatia. He has decided to announce it at the beginning of October 2026, after the match against Spain in the UEFA Nations League. With this, he establishes as one of the greatest legends of the national team, writing his name alongside Davor Šuker and Zvonimir Boban. Despite his international retirement, Modrić has reached an agreement to extend his contract with AC Milan for one more season, joining the club’s tour in Australia, reports Andrea Ramazzotti. With this, Ruben Amorim keeps the central figure of his midfield, as he had already expressed his desire to continue working with him. However, the head coach has already made it clear that he may not play every match. Luka Modrić has proven to be a truly outstanding player at 41 years old. At the 2026 World Cup, he started all four matches Croatia played. Not only was he key in his national team’s two victories, but he also provided an assist. Despite his age, he remains in excellent physical condition, making his presence at AC Milan a guaranteed reinforcement for the 2026-27 season in the rebuild of the roster. Luka Modric of AC Milan. Modric may be key to unlocking Ricci and Jashari at AC Milan Luka Modrić was a key figure for AC Milan in the most recent season. Under Massimiliano Allegri, he played 2,864 minutes across 37 matches. As a result, he was the team’s oldest player to record the most minutes played. Amid the reconstruction under Ruben Amorim, the Croatian veteran could be key to helping develop Samuele Ricci and Ardon Jashari at the Rossoneri. During the 2025-26 season, Samuele Ricci and Ardon Jashari had very little prominence, as they raised serious doubts in several aspects of their game. With this in mind, Luka Modrić can serve as a mentor to both players, helping provide them with more tools to make a greater impact. In addition, they would once again have the opportunity to gradually take on more responsibility, allowing for a slow transition.
Aston Villa have signed Joao Gomes from Wolves for £38m - a second deal for a central midfielder in four days. The Brazil international joins for an initial £34m with £4m in add-ons, after three years and 130 appearances during his time at Molineux. Villa completed a club record deal worth more than £50m for Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi on Friday after beating Newcastle to the Switzerland international.
It is a new era for Aston Villa - and Johan Manzambi will be one of the poster boys. After ending a 30-year wait for a trophy with May's Europa League triumph, Villa have broken their transfer record to sign the Switzerland midfielder in a deal worth more than £50m from Freiburg. Newcastle were close to signing Manzambi last week only for Villa to step in and snatch him.
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