The Swiss national football team faces a historic challenge. When the 2026 World Cup kicks off in the USA, Canada and Mexico, the Nati finally wants to break the curse that has haunted it for years: early elimination in the round of 16 at a World Cup. National coach Murat Yakin is relying on a balanced mix of experienced veterans and young, rising talents – above all captain Granit Xhaka and rising star Dan Ndoye.
Especially at World Cups, the pattern since 2014 has become almost traumatic: Switzerland comfortably gets through the group stage, but then fails at the first knockout hurdle. While the Nati proved at the recent European Championships that it can reach the quarter-finals, it has been denied the leap to a World Cup quarter-final since 1954. Whether it was the bitter exit against Argentina in 2014, the narrow failure against Sweden in 2018, or most recently the 1:6 disaster against Portugal in 2022 – this exact historical World Cup curse is finally supposed to become a thing of the past in 2026.
Murat Yakin, who has stabilized the team after a strong European Championship, clearly builds his concept around Granit Xhaka. The captain, who shines at Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the Bundesliga as a playmaker, embodies this team's identity like no other. With well over 130 international appearances, he is the tactical and emotional centre, the man who controls the midfield and guides younger teammates. Xhaka himself has repeatedly emphasized that the 2026 World Cup will possibly be his last major tournament – an additional incentive to finally make history.
Alongside the captain, hopes rest especially on Dan Ndoye. The winger, who is brilliant at FC Bologna in the Italian Serie A, has developed into one of Europe's most exciting attacking players in recent months. With his pace, dribbling ability and eye for a pass, he brings exactly the unpredictability that Swiss football has often lacked in the past. Ndoye is seen as the face of a new generation that performs fearlessly and doesn't hide even from the very best.
But the Xhaka/Ndoye duo alone won't make it happen. With Manuel Akanji from Manchester City, Ricardo Rodriguez, Remo Freuler and the recovered Breel Embolo, Yakin has an experienced framework at his disposal. In goal, Gregor Kobel is the undisputed mainstay and clear number one after Yann Sommer's retirement from the national team. It will be exciting to see how Yakin integrates the talents Zeki Amdouni, Ardon Jashari and Fabian Rieder. They have all made strong cases for a starting place during the qualifying campaign.
Tactically, the Nati is likely to deploy a flexible 4-2-3-1 that can switch to a more compact 4-3-3 if needed. Yakin constantly emphasizes the importance of a stable defence – a hallmark of earlier Swiss successes. At the same time, the counter-attack over the quick flanks with Ndoye and Rieder is meant to become a weapon.
Expectations at home are high, but realistic. Switzerland doesn't just want to scrape through the group stage, but this time make the next step on the biggest stage of all. Whether this succeeds depends on many factors – from the draw to the injury situation to performance on the day in knockout matches. One thing is certain, though: this generation around Xhaka and Ndoye has the potential to finally break the historic World Cup round-of-16 curse and write Swiss football history.