Young Swiss star Johan Manzambi continues to shine at FIFA World Cup

Switzerland's Johan Manzambi (9) and Algeria's Rayan Ait-Nouri (15) battle for the ball during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Switzerland and Algeria in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

VANCOUVER — Johan Manzambi keeps making his presence felt at the FIFA 2026 World Cup.

The 20-year-old midfielder earned praise from his teammates and coach after setting up striker Breel Embolo’s goal in the 10th minute as Switzerland defeated Algeria 2-0 Thursday night to advance to the round of 16.

Manzambi showed both his speed and fluid moves on the play. He sliced past several Algerian defenders, pulled up at the corner of the net, then feathered a pass that Embolo blasted home, bringing a cheer from the announced sellout crowd of 52,497 at BC Place Stadium.

“I think 95 per cent of the goal is Johan,” Embolo, who plays for Ligue 1 club Rennes, said about Manzambi’s assist. “He pulled up the ball (and) it was an easy goal for me.”

Swiss coach Murat Yakin called the goal “a lucky punch.”

“You need small moments where you expect a player to help out the team,” said Yakin. “He was able to identify the moment we needed as a team.”

Striker Dan Ndoye scored Switzerland’s other goal in the 46th minute.

“He’s an incredible player for us, and he helped us go to the next step,” Ndoye said about Manzambi. “I think he had a lot to prove again, but he makes us so much better. We’re really happy to have him on the team.”

With his team ahead 2-0, Manzambi was replaced by Noah Okafor in the 70th minute.

“He had to work defensively,” said Yakin. “The longer the match went on, the more difficult it got for him.”

Manzambi, who plays for the Bundesliga club SC Freiburg, made his mark at BC Place Stadium last week. He scored a goal, collected an assist, and was named Man of the Match in Switzerland’s 2-1 win over Canada that clinched the top spot in Group B.

Earlier in the tournament, he scored two goals in a 4–1 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina, becoming the youngest player to score two goals off the bench in the World Cup.

He has five goals in 15 international appearances.

Swiss captain Granit Xhaka said Manzambi is improving with each game.

“You can see he’s a very, very good player,” said the midfielder who also captains the Premier League club Sunderland. “He’s young, but the hunger is big. He is very helpful for our team.”

“One more time, he helped us today to score goals. Without the ball, he has a very good mentality.”

Yakin praised Manzambi’s versatility.

“You can really use him in every single position,” he said. “We’ve been able to really witness his evolution and development starting last year. He’s a precious player, a brilliant footballer.”

Manzambi was born in Geneva and began playing soccer at four years old. His parents are from Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Manzambi made his first appearance with the Swiss national team in a 4–2 win over Mexico on June 7, 2025. He scored his first senior international goal three days later in a 4-0 friendly win over the United States.

He appeared in all six of Switzerland’s World Cup qualifying games, scoring in both the home and away matches against Sweden.

Yakin said Manzambi is an asset on and off the field.

“He’s a very dangerous every attack, laser-sharp focused,” he said. “He’s been able to show this in our team over the past year, getting better every game.

“He has very good character; he works very hard. It’s just so much fun to work with him.”

Switzerland will remain in Vancouver and face the winner of the Ghana-Colombia match on Tuesday.

The win against Algeria means Switzerland will advance to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1954.

“Today we write one page of history,” said Ndoye. “But we want more, and we work for more.”

This report by Jim Morris, The Canadian Press, was first published July 3, 2026.