Switzerland secured top position in Group B of the World Cup with a 2-1 victory over hosts Canada on Wednesday in Vancouver. The win sends Switzerland into the knockout stage with a week’s rest before returning to Vancouver on July 2 to face one of the eight best third-place finishers.

The Swiss goals came from Rubén Vargas and Johan Manzambi, both instrumental in the team's success. Vargas opened the scoring just 40 seconds into the second half with a long-range shot that slipped past Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau after hitting the post. Later, Manzambi doubled Switzerland's lead with a strike that beat Crépeau again, sealing the outcome.

Manzambi, 20, earned the starting role following his impressive performance off the bench in Switzerland’s previous 4-1 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, where he became the youngest player to score two goals as a substitute in the tournament. His continued impact underscores his emergence as one of the competition’s notable young talents.

Despite the loss, Canada advanced to the knockout round for the first time in team history but saw their hopes of playing the Round of 32 at home dashed. Canada now faces a second-place finisher from Group A in Inglewood, California, on Sunday. Canada head coach Jesse Marsch expressed disappointment at missing the chance to remain in Vancouver but emphasized the team’s determination to energize fans from Los Angeles.

Switzerland coach Murat Yakin acknowledged his team’s deserved group victory and indicated that preparations for the next match will begin once the opponent is known. “In three days from now, we will know the opponent of the next match, and now we have the possibility to watch this tournament, and to watch the matches, and we will take what we will get,” Yakin said.

The result reshuffles the group standings, with Switzerland taking first place and Canada settling for second, setting the stage for contrasting paths as the tournament progresses.