World Cup preview: Switzerland
The Swiss are coming off an impressive display at Euro 2020
Previous World Cup appearances: 1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1994, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018
Best finish: Quarterfinals (1934, 1938, 1954)
Group stage schedule: vs. Cameroon (Nov. 24), vs. Brazil (Nov. 28), vs. Serbia (Dec. 2)
The breakdown
How they qualified: Switzerland were drawn into a UEFA qualifying group with Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania and Northern Ireland. They won five of their eight games and topped the group with 18 points.
Names to know:
Breel Embolo (Monaco) — Embolo led the team in goal involvements during qualifying with six (3 goals, 3 assists) and was the only Swiss player with multiple goals and multiple assists. The former Schalke and Borussia Mönchengladbach striker has played in three major tournaments (Euro 2016, 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020), contributing an assist at the last World Cup and a goal at Euro 2020 (played in 2021). He is on pace for the best season of his career in his first campaign with Monaco of France’s Ligue 1.
Remo Freuler (Nottingham Forest) — After sitting on the bench for the entire 2018 World Cup, Freuler started every game at Euro 2020. He also played the most minutes of any Swiss outfield player during qualifying, making seven starts and scoring at home against Bulgaria1. Freuler was one of Nottingham Forest's many summer signings after spending the previous six-plus seasons with Italian side Atalanta.
Ricardo Rodríguez (Torino) — A veteran of four major tournaments (2014 World Cup, Euro 2016, 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020), Rodríguez’s first appearance in Qatar will be his 101st for Switzerland2. He has started every game at all four of those major tournaments and logged the fourth-most minutes on the team during qualifying. The versatile defender is in his third season with Torino in Italy's Serie A.
Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire) — One more cap and four more goals will move Shaqiri into sole possession of third place on Switzerland’s all-time appearances list and fourth place on the goalscoring chart3. He’s started every game at major tournaments dating back to the 2014 World Cup and has scored in all of them. Shaqiri is coming off a seven-goal, 11-assist season with the Chicago Fire, his first in Major League Soccer4.
Granit Xhaka (Arsenal) — Xhaka did not leave the field at Euro 2016 or the 2018 World Cup. His 106 caps are the fifth-most in Swiss men’s national team history, and he is one of three players with more than 105 appearances and at least 10 goals5. The oft-criticized Arsenal midfielder has been outstanding for the current Premier League leaders and has a tendency to save his best performances for his national team. He just made his 200th league appearance for the Gunners.
Potential breakout star: Noah Okafor (Red Bull Salzburg)
Five of Okafor’s eight national team appearances have come in 2022, and four of them occurred in the June international window6. The 22-year-old scored three times in the Champions League group stage and is two goals away from tying his Austrian Bundesliga total from last season (9).
The bottom line
Reason for optimism: Consistency
Switzerland have gotten out of their group in four straight major tournaments dating back to the 2014 World Cup. They knocked out France at Euro 2020 as well. This team always finds a way to maximize its potential when it matters most.
Biggest question: Can they find a consistent goalscorer?
Nobody scored multiple goals for Switzerland at Euro 2016 or the 2018 World Cup. Haris Seferović and Shaqiri both netted three at Euro 2020. Embolo is the only player in the squad who had more than one goal in qualifying. Who (if anyone) steps up to help Shaqiri in Qatar?
Here’s the deal:
If someone starts pouring in goals from the No. 9 position, they’re one of the more dangerous teams in the tournament. If not, even getting to the knockout stage will be a challenge.