Switzerland book last-16 spot with professional display in Vancouver
Rayan Ait-Nouri's involvement at the 2026 World Cup is over after Algeria were beaten 2-0 by Switzerland at BC Place on Sunday.
Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye scored either side of half-time as Murat Yakin's side eased into the Round of 16, having topped Group B unbeaten after wins over Bosnia and Herzegovina and co-hosts Canada, plus a late draw with Qatar.
Algeria arrived in the knockout phase as one of the best third-place finishers from Group J, a group that included a Lionel Messi hat-trick against them and a dramatic late equaliser against Austria that sent both sides through.
The Desert Foxes started brightly enough, with Houssem Aouar testing the Swiss early on, but the game turned on 10 minutes when Johan Manzambi carved through the Algerian defence to set up Embolo from close range.
Algeria pushed for an equaliser before half-time but were undone by their own sloppiness at the start of the second period. A failure to clear their lines twice in quick succession allowed Ndoye to collect outside the area and slide a composed low finish into the far corner, beyond Luca Zidane.
Riyad Mahrez was withdrawn in the 71st minute without having made a decisive impact, and Switzerland saw out the remainder with minimal fuss.
Ait-Nouri's defensive numbers for the match included 10 ground duels won from 15, 85% pass accuracy, and three successful dribbles from five attempts, according to Sofascore data.
Man City's representatives at the tournament now turn their attention to the last-16, where Enzo Maresca's players will face each other as Portugal — featuring several of the City contingent — prepare to take on Croatia.