Switzerland World Cup 2026 team guide

Switzerland qualified for the World Cup for the sixth consecutive time and will base themselves on the US west coast in San Diego. The team aims to deliver the best World Cup performance they have produced, fueled by the belief they could have reached the final at the last Euros. Switzerland have not advanced beyond the quarter-finals at the World Cup, with their last quarter-final appearance in 1954 and a recent last-16 exit in 2022 after a 6-1 defeat to Portugal. They finished top of their qualifying group, winning four matches and drawing two. The squad blends experienced leaders with younger players. Zeki Amdouni appears to have recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and Noah Okafor has returned after being sidelined following Euro 2024.

"We want to play the best World Cup seen from a Swiss team, the coach, Murat Yakin, told Blick. The feeling that we could have reached the final of the last Euros [they lost on penalties to England in the quarter-finals] gives us something to dream about. Switzerland have never got past the quarter-finals at the World Cup, last reaching that stage on home soil in 1954. Since then, their adventures have typically ended in the last 16, as was the case in 2022 in Doha when they lost 6-1 to Portugal."

"The team were very comfortable in qualifying, finishing top of their group ahead of Kosovo, Slovenia and Sweden, winning four games and drawing two. There is a good mix in the squad between the elder statesmen such as Granit Xhaka, Manuel Akanji and Ricardo Rodriguez and a younger generation represented by Dan Ndoye, Fabian Rieder and Johan Manzambi among others."

"Moreover, the Nati have so far avoided injuries with the Burnley striker Zeki Amdouni seemingly winning his battle to get back after an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Noah Okafor is back too, having been sidelined after a poor Euro 2024, where he responded badly to not playing before launching a public dig at Yakin when le"

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