📈 نجم سويسرا الصاعد يقود الفريق في المباراة الحاسمة للمجموعة الثانية

Perennial tournament dark horse Switzerland are en route to finishing atop Group B after striking twice after the halftime against co-host Canada.

And one man has been at the centre of it all: Freiburg's Johan Manzambi.

While so many big moments of yesteryear fell on the shoulders of iconic former international Xherdan Shaqiri and Alexander Frei before him, the 20-year-old breakout Bundesliga starlet has risen to the occasion this summer in North America in a way that was perhaps unexpected.

Pre-tournament discussion orbited around frontman Breel Embolo, but it's been Manzambi who has stolen the plaudits during group play.

The 2025/26 Europa League Young Player of the Season, who helped Breisgau-Brasilianer reach the final, was not included in Murat Yakin's starting XI against either Qatar or Bosnia and Herzegovina, but soon made his value evident after a brace off the bench against Sergej Barbarez's outfit.

He's delivered once again today, this time included in the XI, first setting up Rúben Vargas for the breakthrough strike, before finishing himself to pad Switzerland's goal cushion.

With that, Mamzambi is now the leading goalscorer in the tournament aged 21 or younger (per Squawka), while also becoming the youngest player since Memphis Depay (2014) to score and assist in a World Cup match.

A name that flew under the radar before the 2026 World Cup began, Manzambi is now firmly in the spotlight.