Switzerland is ready to kick off its campaign against Qatar and prepares to deliver its best FIFA World Cup yet, but the players must make sure they enjoy the moment, captain Granit Xhaka said on Friday.
In his fourth World Cup,
«In football we always talk about tactical things, but you also have to enjoy the moment and I think this is one of the most important things in football, that you go onto the pitch, that you feel free,» Xhaka told a news conference.
«We just want to bring our ‘A’ game tomorrow. We want to perform for Switzerland, for our families. Tomorrow we will take the first big step. This will be the best World Cup.»
“We are impatient now,” he added. «We’re ready and we’re ready. We’re physically ready, we’re mentally ready.»
Switzerland will play the World Cup for the sixth time in a row, an achievement that can only be matched in Europe by France, Spain, England, Portugal and Germany.
But unlike those sides, the Swiss have little to show for it, with 16 exits in five of their past six appearances, with their last quarter-final coming in 1954.
A win against Qatar would put them top of Group B, ahead of Bosnia and co-hosts Canada, who drew 1-1 on Friday.
Xhaka, 33, is the lynchpin of the Swizerland team and the most capped player in the country.
He is expected to reach the 150 cap mark at the World Cup and on Saturday he and defender Ricardo Rodriguez, if selected, will both set a national record of 13 appearances in the tournament.
Coach Murat Yakin said his current team has what it takes to do well at the World Cup and his aim is to take the game to Qatar early.
He said his side, which had 17 members at the last World Cup, had learned a lot from that tournament, which exited in the last 16 with a 6-1 win over Portugal.
“Two-thirds of the players on my team have already played in a major tournament,” Yakin said. «We learned our lessons from the past. Now, four years later, we have more experience. We do things better.»
Published on June 13, 2026
