Switzerland World Cup 2026: The Nati to continue their last-16 trend

Switzerland are gearing up for a sixth successive appearance at the FIFA World Cup finals after going unbeaten in their qualifying group. The past three editions have seen the Nati reach the round of 16, and they will be hoping to match that feat this summer.

They are in Group B alongside co-hosts Canada, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Qatar. Below I assess how far I think they can go in this tournament, including analysis of their squad picks.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Goalkeepers: Marvin Keller (Young Boys), Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund), Yvon Mvogo (Lorient).

Defenders: Manuel Akanji (Inter Milan), Aurele Amenda (Eintracht Frankfurt), Eray Comert (Valencia), Nico Elvedi (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Luca Jaquez (VfB Stuttgart), Miro Muheim (Hamburg), Ricardo Rodriguez (Real Betis), Silvan Widmer (Mainz).

Midfielders: Michel Aebischer (Pisa), Christian Fassnacht (Young Boys), Remo Freuler (Bologna), Ardon Jashari (AC Milan), Johan Manzambi (Freiburg), Fabian Rieder (Augsburg), Djibril Sow, Ruben Vargas (both Sevilla), Granit Xhaka (Sunderland), Denis Zakaria (Monaco).

Forwards: Zeki Amdouni (Burnley), Breel Embolo (Stade Rennais), Cedric Itten (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Dan Ndoye (Nottingham Forest), Noah Okafor (Leeds United).

Having experienced the knockout stage at the past three World Cups, there is going to be an expectancy of Switzerland to get through Group B. They have never ventured past the quarter-finals on this stage, so this is something Murat Yakin and his players will look to change this summer.

Yakin is about to embark on his third major tournament in charge of the Rossocrociati and this consistency can play a big role in helping the Swiss realise their ambitions.

Two years ago, he led his side to the quarter-finals at the Euros in Germany. Switzerland operated a 3-4-3 system then but they have since reverted back to a more traditional 4-3-3. This paid dividends in qualifying as they went unbeaten to top their group.

World Cup Odds

Yakin has once again gone with a squad filled with experience. Granit Xhaka continues to captain the side at 33 years of age, and he is the the Swiss' most-capped player in history with 144 caps to date.

The midfielder has just enjoyed a fruitful return to the Premier League, leading newly-promoted Sunderland to the UEFA Europa League. He is a good asset to have in tournament football because of what he offers in both boxes.

No player in the squad has scored more goals for the Nati than Breel Embolo (23), and the Rennes striker will hope to have a big impact in North America over the coming weeks.

Noah Okafor is yet to have such an influence on the international stage but the attacker has just had a bright debut campaign in the Premier League with Leeds United, scoring eight goals.

Group B Fixtures:

13 June 12pm local (8pm BST) - vs Qatar (San Francisco)

18 June 12pm local (8pm BST) - vs Bosnia-Herzegovina (Los Angeles)

24 June 12pm local (8pm BST) - vs Canada (Vancouver)

Player to watch: Granit Xhaka

Xhaka is the beating heart of this Switzerland team. He is a leader and someone who his teammates will turn to for inspiration in matches. He's a strong all-round midfielder who will also be one to watch for set-pieces, whether he's going for goal or putting the ball into dangerous areas.

He's got plenty of tournament experience on the international stage. Xhaka has also played in the UEFA Champions League and won trophies with Bayer Leverkusen. He's undergone a renaissance in recent years to overcome a difficult period at Arsenal and Xhaka is now truly ageing like a fine wine.

Football Odds

Prediction: Round of 16

I think Switzerland will continue their trend of reaching the round of 16. Of course, they will need to get past the new round of 32 first but I think I would fancy them to overcome that hurdle.

Yakin's group is filled with players who have plenty of tournament experience, so they should have no issues getting out of Group B, and I do believe they will top it.