Switzerland

The 1954 quarter-final between Switzerland and Austria ended 7-5 and remains the highest-scoring match in World Cup history.

At the 2006 World Cup, Switzerland became the only team ever eliminated without conceding a single goal — knocked out by Ukraine on penalties in the round of 16.

Switzerland beat eventual champions Spain 1-0 in the opening match of the 2010 World Cup, becoming the first team to defeat a World Cup winner on their very first match of the same tournament.

Granit Xhaka, Switzerland's captain since 2021, appears at his fourth consecutive World Cup — he and Ricardo Rodriguez (also in this squad) jointly hold the Swiss record for most World Cup appearances with 12 each.

Johan Manzambi, the squad's youngest player at 20, was named UEFA Europa League Revelation of the Season 2025-26 after helping Freiburg reach the EL Final — qualifying for his first World Cup on merit at one of Europe's biggest stages.

Modern defensive football is a Swiss invention — national coach Karl Rappan's 1930s 'verrou' (door-bolt) system pioneered the sweeper role and directly inspired Italy's famous catenaccio.

At the 1938 World Cup, Switzerland knocked out 'Greater Germany' — a side forcibly merged with annexed Austria after the Anschluss — coming back from 2-0 down to win the replay 4-2.