Colombia haven't conceded in 345 minutes — and that could be Switzerland's worst nightmare in the Round of 16
Colombia arrive in the Round of 16 with the second-best defence at the 2026 World Cup: just one goal conceded and 345 minutes of clean-sheet football. Can Switzerland break through?
Three hundred and forty-five minutes. That is how long Colombia have stood firm, untouched, without conceding a single goal. This Tuesday at 5 p.m. (Brasília time), Switzerland must end that run — or go home.
According to ge, Néstor Lorenzo's side have the second-best defence at the 2026 World Cup, with just one goal conceded in four matches. The only slip came in the very first game, against Uzbekistan, in a 3–1 win. After that? Total silence. DR Congo, Portugal and Ghana all tried — none of them managed it.
Spain are the only team ahead of them in that regard: five games, zero goals conceded. The Spaniards eliminated Portugal 1–0 on Monday and remain unbeaten at the tournament. But Colombia are right behind them, with a defensive structure that impresses through sheer consistency.
Camilo Vargas in goal, Davinson Sánchez and Jhon Lucumí in central defence — the partnership has shown growing chemistry. Sánchez is quick, strong in the air and led the defensive interventions against Portugal. Lucumí, meanwhile, stands out for his composure in possession and passing accuracy. Against the Portuguese, Vargas also kept out a dangerous effort from Bruno Fernandes.
Across the 94 matches played at the tournament so far, the average is 2.92 goals per game, as ge points out. Reaching the Round of 16 with just one goal conceded is a remarkable feat.
Colombia know their attack has lost firepower with the injury to striker Jhon Córdoba. So the plan is clear: hold firm, suffocate the opposition and win on the smallest of margins. The old saying is well-worn, but it holds — "Attack wins games, defence wins championships."
If the Colombian wall holds once more, the dream of surpassing the country's best-ever World Cup run — the quarter-finals in 2014, where Brazil ended their journey — could become reality. Switzerland have been warned: knocking down this wall is going to be very hard.