Switzerland

Switzerland enter World Cup 2026 in Group B, where the early tests are Canada, Qatar, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Switzerland have never won the tournament, but they reached the quarterfinals in 1934, 1938, and 1954 and have become a reliable modern World Cup presence with a reputation for structure. The current squad is shaped around Granit Xhaka, Manuel Akanji, and Breel Embolo, a core that gives the team recognizable quality in the moments that usually decide group-stage matches: set pieces, transition attacks, and pressure around the box.

For this tournament, the assignment is both tactical and psychological: start quickly, protect the middle of the pitch, and make the group feel uncomfortable before the knockout picture forms. Their experience should travel well in Group B. If Xhaka sets the tempo and Akanji anchors the back line, Switzerland have the profile of a side capable of controlling the group margins. If Switzerland can turn its best individual stretches into a full 90-minute platform, the campaign has room to grow beyond a simple participation story.