Switzerland clinched first place in Group B with a 2-1 victory over Canada on Wednesday, denying the tournament co-host a chance to remain in Vancouver for the knockout phase of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Goals from Ruben Vargas and Johan Manzambi gave the Swiss side a two-goal cushion before substitute Promise David pulled one back late, but the Canadians could not come up with an equalizer despite a strong finish.

The result means Switzerland will return to Vancouver for its round of 32 match on July 2, where Murat Yakin's team will face one of the eight best third-place finishers after ending up on top of the group.

"I think that we deserve to be where we are right now," Yakin said. "In three days from now, we will know the opponent of the next match, and now we have the possibility to watch this tournament and to watch the matches, and we will take what we will get."

Canada, meanwhile, advanced to the World Cup's knockout phase for the first time in its history but slipped to second place in Group B. Instead of staying on home turf, Jesse Marsch's men will travel to Inglewood, California, to face the runner-up from Group A on Sunday.

"We wanted to be here in Vancouver, but we still have a massive opportunity ahead of us to find a way to still electrify the nation, even though it'll be from Los Angeles," Marsch said.

In other action, Bosnia and Herzegovina kept its knockout hopes alive by defeating Qatar 3-1 in Seattle to finish third in the group, putting the European squad in a strong position to claim one of the event's eight round of 32 spots reserved for the best third-place performers.

The breakthrough came in the 29th minute, when 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic fired home from long range to become the eighth-youngest goalscorer in World Cup history. Sead Kolasinac then delivered a pass to the far post that Edin Dzeko redirected across the goalmouth, with Qatari defender Sultan Al-Brake turning the ball into his own net to gift a second goal to the Bosnians.

Qatar responded before halftime through Hassan Al Haydos, but Bosnia and Herzegovina restored its two-goal advantage when substitute Ermin Mahmic found the net in the 80th minute. The 21-year-old celebrated by taking off his shirt in front of his side's supporters, earning a yellow card but also creating one of the team's defining moments of the competition.

"We knew that the bookings are erased after the group stage," Bosnia and Herzegovina coach Sergej Barbarez said. "I also heard that he shed a tear. I think it was quite emotional for him."

The victory left the Bosnians on the verge of reaching the World Cup's knockout phase for the first time. The squad from a nation of around three million, which qualified for the tournament through the European playoffs after winning penalty shootouts against Wales and four-time champion Italy, now awaits confirmation that its Group B record is enough to extend a historic run.

"We all wanted to write history, and make history," Barbarez said. "But, this was never initially, honestly, our plan. We still have to see whether we are going to progress to the next stage."