Rising Swiss star Johan Manzambi scores big in World Cup win vs Canada

VANCOUVER — A 20-year-old Swiss sensation, Johan Manzambi, put the world on notice as Switzerland won Group B with a 2-1 victory over Canada on Wednesday, June 24. In his first-ever World Cup start, Manzambi was everything Switzerland needed. He had a hand in both goals scored and cemented himself as premier scoring threat entering the Round of 32 as a group winner. “He is always ready to score and is also helpful defensively,” said Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin through translation. “He’s very intelligent, he finds the right paths.” Barely anyone was paying attention to Manzambi during Switzerland's opening draw against Qatar, as he subbed in for just the last 25 minutes. The shift in the team’s 2026 World Cup fortunes came after Manzambi became a central cog in the Swiss offense. The breakout began against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He once again came off of the bench late, where he provided a much-needed spark to the Swiss offense. Switzerland appeared to be headed for another draw until Manzambi put his team on the board just two minutes after being called to action, and struck again in the 90th minute. In that 19-minute span, Manzambi became the youngest Swiss player to score twice in a match, as well as the youngest to record a brace as a substitute. Against Canada, Yakin realized what he had in the rising star, and he gave Manzambi his first start of the tournament. The choice paid dividends. In 85 minutes of playing time, Manzambi assisted on a Rubén Vargas goal that broke open a 0-0 game just 40 seconds after halftime. Manzambi continued his scoring streak not long after, converting a cross from Breel Embolo that he delivered inside the left post. Instead of being subbed in late to try and claw back from a rough position, this time Manzambi was subbed out to let the defense preserve a lead he was instrumental in creating. “He played really well today,” defender Manuel Akanji said of Manzambi. “He sees things that maybe others don't see or are not capable of doing, and we really need players like this.” With Manzambi as a starter, it seems like no coincidence that this Switzerland team met the moment and claimed the Group B crown. Canada needed only a win or a draw to take the group. The Canucks got neither. While the World Cup has been a breakout for him, perhaps the soccer world should have seen this coming. Manzambi appeared in all six qualifying matches for Switzerland, where he scored in both home and away fixtures against Sweden. The midfielder plays for Bundesliga club SC Freiburg, where he recorded five goals and four assists in the 2025-2026 season. As for whether Manzambi still will be in the starting lineup next match, Yakin played coy, but he admitted it’d be hard to leave him out. “He’s an option for the starting lineup, and he deserves to be there,” Yakin said. Jack Cooney is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.