Switzerland squad World Cup 2026: Which players will make it to the showpiece in USA, Mexico and Canada?

Yann Sommer had his mitts on Switzerland's starting goalkeeper spot for over a decade. However, his international retirement two years ago has allowed Borussia Dortmund's Gregor Kobel to step into the main role after serving his time as an understudy. Yvon Mvogo and Marvin Keller, who play for Lorient and Young Boys respectively, are expected to fill the back-up positions.

At the back, manager Yakin will be relying on Manuel Akanji and Ricardo Rodriguez as two of his most experienced campaigners to keep things tight. Akanji, now at Inter Milan, is well known to Premier League fans after winning seven major trophies with Manchester City, while Rodriguez was formerly renowned as an assist machine thanks to his dangerous deliveries from left-back, though his statistics these days aren't quite as impressive as the numbers he put up while at Wolfsburg back in the 2010s.

Partnering Akanji at centre-back will likely be Nico Elvedi, who has been a mainstay in the Borussia Monchengladbach defence since joining the German side from FC Zurich, while Mainz's Silvan Widmer is expected to fill the right-back role. There's enough depth elsewhere in the squad, too, with Miro Muheim, Eray Comert, Luca Jaquez and Aurele Amenda all playing in Europe's top five leagues.

Granit Xhaka is a near certainty to start in central midfield as captain, unless the Sunderland star is shot down by an injury towards the end of the campaign. The former Arsenal midfielder offers plenty of leadership in the middle of the park and will be helped in a mobility sense by the likes of Remo Freuler and Michel Aebischer.

Denis Zakaria didn't make the grade during a brief spell at Chelsea but puts in consistent enough performances for Monaco to continue to make the Swiss squad, while support will be provided by Freiburg's Johan Manzambi, who is arguably the country's most exciting prospect at only 20 years of age, as well as Sevilla's Djibril Sow and Al-Shabab's Vincent Sierro among others.

Switzerland have a couple of different options up front, but their main man is likely to be Rennes star Breel Embolo. The 29-year-old never got the big transfer he was tipped for while at Basel and later Schalke, but he has rarely let his nation down and has previous experience of scoring at international tournaments, notably netting against England at Euro 2024 before they were eliminated on penalties.

Dan Ndoye has had a quiet first season at Nottingham Forest but his versatility and explosive dribbling may well catch the eye in North America, while Ruben Vargas' positioning and movement always make him a danger in the opposition box.

Switzerland's key figures are players who may well be featuring in their last international tournament this summer. Granit Xhaka has seen it all and is closing in on 150 national team appearances. He'll be keen to make his mark - potentially with a screamer from distance thanks to his shooting ability - but it's Breel Embolo who will carry the main burden of goalscoring in North America.

He'll need support from Ricardo Rodriguez, who can create chances from left-back, as well as wingers Dan Ndoye and Ruben Vargas.

Gregor Kobel has also built a fine reputation thanks to his displays for Dortmund in Germany and will be among the most reputable goalkeepers at the World Cup. He has been left with big gloves to fill following Sommer's exit but is more than capable of producing important saves when it matters.

Switzerland often switch between a 4-3-3 and a 4-2-3-1 formation, but it may well be the former that is deployed in North America over the summer.

Kobel will feature between the sticks with Akanji and Rodriguez part of the back four, while Xhaka could be partnered by Freuler and Sow in a midfield three.

Up front, Ndoye and Vargas will look to ply central striker Embolo with scoring opportunities while coming off the wing to get shots away themselves.

Predicted Switzerland starting XI (4-3-3): Kobel; Widmer, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez; Freuler, Xhaka, Sow; Ndoye, Embolo, Vargas.