Rise of a Football God-Chapter 514: Round of 32; Ghana vs Switzerland

[FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 32:]

[Match 1: Ghana vs Switzerland]

[Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, USA]

[Date: June 30th, 2026]

[Kick-off: 17:00 local time]

[Referee: Facundo Tello (Argentina)]

The atmosphere at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, USA, was hot and humid at 30 degrees centigrade, a crucible for pure endurance football.

The FIFA World Cup group stage was over, and now, knockout stage football was here.

It was the moment of truth.

The stage where champions could fall, and underdogs could rise.

The stage of miracles.

Ghana, group winners with style and steel, came into this knockout fixture glowing with belief that they could write a tale to never forget at the FIFA World Cup this year.

Their young squad, vibrant and full of running, had surprised many in Group A. Theirs was one of the biggest underdog stories of the group stage.

Switzerland, scraping through as one of the best third-placed teams from Group K, were seen as the underdogs, but with Granit Xhaka and Manuel Akanji leading, they were not to be underestimated.

What followed in Atlanta was a battle of endurance, belief, and one Ghanaian star seizing his moment.

Both nations started with their best XIs.

Ghana started in a 4-2-3-1 formation, Lawrence Ati-Zigi starting in between the posts for the Africans, while a 4-man defense comprising Tariq Lamptey, Amartey, Salisu, and Gideon Mensah stood in front of the goalkeeper.

In midfield was the solid duo of Thomas Partey and Abdul Samed, while the attacking midfielders were Mohamed Kudus, Inaki Williams, and Sulemana.

Antoine led the line as the striker for the Ghanians.

As for Switzerland, starting in a 4-3-3 formation, they had Yann Sommer in between the posts, a defensive quadruple of Widmer, Akanji, Elvedi, and Ricardo Rodriguez sitting in front of him.

The midfield trio were Granit Xhaka, Freuler, and Sow, while the forward trio comprised Xerdan Shaqiri, Embolo, and Vargas.

On paper, both teams were evenly matched.

And then...

FWEEE!

The referee’s whistle sounded, kicking off the game.

For the first few minutes of the game, both nations showed intent and grit as they dug in, refusing to roll over for their opponent’s pressure as they fought tooth and nail to assert their dominance in the game.

Both sides fought for possession dominance, with neither side yet to dictate it when the first goal came in early in the 11th minute of the game.

Ghana struck, and it was Mohammed Kudus who broke the deadlock in the first Round of 32 game.

It started with a Partey interception in midfield. Kudus took the ball and slalomed through two defenders, burst into the box, and unleashed a thunderous low shot past Sommer.

Ghana 1-0 Switzerland.

Just like that.

BOOM!

The Mercedes-Benz erupted.

Kudus charged towards the corner flag in celebration. He pointed to the sky; Ghana were flying.

After that goal, Switzerland were forced to dig in.

They tried to steady the tempo of the game. Xhaka dropped deep to dictate play, and Shaqiri had a decent effort saved in the 25th minute. But Ghana’s midfield intensity kept forcing errors.

Ghana were beginning to assert dominance in the game.

And once again, they struck. It came in the 37th minute, and Kamaldeen Sulemana, the left winger was the star of the show.

From the left wing, Sulemana took on Widmer, beat him for pace, and curled a gorgeous finish into the far corner.

Yann Sommer was rooted to one spot. Ghana roared.

2-0.

The crowd was singing. The drums never stopped.

The first half came to an end with Ghana leading 2-0.

In the second half, Murat Yakin, Switzerland’s coach made two changes, bringing on Okafor and Ndoye. And Switzerland did start brighter.

They brought fire and energy with them in the second half, and it paid dividends after 10 minutes of intense gameplay.

56th minute, GOAL!

Shaqiri’s deep free kick was headed on by Xhaka, and Embolo pounced on a rebound after Ati-Zigi spilled the ball.

Breel Embolo, the Switzerland striker set Swiss fans in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on fire.

2-1.

The Swiss believed again.

For 20 minutes, it was all Switzerland, as they went on wave after wave of marauding attacks down the wing and through the middle.

Ghana were holding on.

The atmosphere in the stadium was tense, electric.

Akanji had a header cleared off the line. Shaqiri skimmed the post from a tight angle. And amid the chaos, finally came Ghana’s answer.

"INAKI WILLIAMS...!!!" The commentator screamed.

In the 78th minute, and on the counter, Kudus slipped through a beautiful ball. Inaki Williams burst past Elvedi and chipped Sommer with a sensational first-time lob.

3-1. Game over.

The Mercedes-Benz exploded in Ghanaian euphoria.

[FULL-TIME: Ghana 3-1 Switzerland]

With that result, Ghana advanced to the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2010.

Switzerland were sent home; beaten, but not broken.

At least, they had a goal to show for their efforts.

Ghana’s Mohammed Kudus won the man of the match award with his 1 goal, 1 assist, 5 successful dribbles, and 3 chances created.

According to the commentator...

"He was everywhere. The heartbeat, the spark, the rhythm of Ghanaian dominance".

And once again, Ghana added another page to their underdog script in this World Cup. After such a ruthless performance at the Mercedes-Benz, off course, their coach had a few words for the media.

"They doubted us. Now they see us. This is the spirit of Accra, Kumasi, Tamale... this is Ghana".

Granit Xhaka, the Switzerland captain also had a few words for the media.

"We pushed hard, but they were better in key moments. Full respect to Ghana".

Ghana’s win over Switzerland briefly dominated the internet. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

BBC also covered it:

"This was not just a win, this was a statement. Ghana are not passengers in this World Cup. They are drivers".

Ghana progressed to the Round of 16, where they would face the winner of Match 15, Egypt or Chile.

The reason why Ghana’s win briefly dominated the internet was because another FIFA World Cup epic loomed... Spain vs South Korea.