Switzerland national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Switzerland

Nicknames	Nati (National Team) Rossocrociati (Red Crosses)
Association	Swiss Football Association (ASF-SFV)
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Murat Yakin
Captain	Granit Xhaka
Most caps	Granit Xhaka (151)
Top scorer	Alexander Frei (42)
Home stadium	Various
FIFA code	SUI
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	8 (7 February 2019)
Highest	3 (August 1993)
Lowest	83 (December 1998)
First international
France 1–0 Switzerland  (Paris, France; 12 February 1905)
Biggest win
Switzerland 9–0 Lithuania  (Paris, France; 25 May 1924)
Biggest defeat
Switzerland 0–9 England  (Basel, Switzerland; 20 May 1909)  Hungary 9–0 Switzerland  (Budapest, Hungary; 29 October 1911)
World Cup
Appearances	13 (first in 1934)
Best result	Quarter-finals (1934, 1938, 1954, 2026)
European Championship
Appearances	6 (first in 1996)
Best result	Quarter-finals (2020, 2024)
Nations League Finals
Appearances	1 (first in 2019)
Best result	Fourth place (2019)
Medal record Olympic Games 1924 Paris Team

The Switzerland national football team represents Switzerland in international football matches for men. This team is often called the "Nati" and is managed by the Swiss Football Association.

Switzerland has had some great moments in the FIFA World Cup. They reached the quarter-finals four times: in 1934, 1938, 1954, and are currently in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Switzerland hosted the World Cup in 1954. In that tournament, they played in the highest-scoring World Cup match ever, losing 7–5 to Austria. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Switzerland set a record by being eliminated without letting in a single goal during regular play. They also held a World Cup record for not conceding a goal for 559 minutes across several tournaments.

Switzerland also co-hosted UEFA Euro 2008 with Austria. They have shown strong performances in recent European Championships. They reached the Round of 16 in Euro 2016. Then, they made it to the quarter-finals in Euro 2020 after beating world champions France. They repeated this success in Euro 2024, defeating reigning champions Italy to reach the quarter-finals again. Their best overall result in an official competition was a silver medal at the 1924 Olympic Games.

History of Swiss Football

Early Years and World Cup Success (1924–1966)

The Uruguay v. Switzerland line-up in the Gold medal match at the 1924 Summer Olympics, held in Paris

At the 1924 Paris Olympic Games, Switzerland won a silver medal. They lost 3–0 to Uruguay in the final match. The team first played in the World Cup in 1934. They reached the quarter-finals after beating the Netherlands. They also reached the quarter-finals in 1938, after defeating Germany.

Switzerland hosted the 1954 World Cup. They finished second in their group and qualified for the quarter-finals. However, they were knocked out after a high-scoring 7–5 loss to Austria. In the 1962 and 1966 World Cups, Switzerland struggled, losing all their group stage games.

The Roy Hodgson Era (1992–1996)

In 1992, Roy Hodgson became the head coach. Before him, Switzerland had not qualified for a major tournament since 1966. Under Hodgson, Switzerland's ranking improved greatly, reaching 3rd in the FIFA World Rankings in August 1993. This is still their highest ranking ever. Hodgson led Switzerland to the 1994 FIFA World Cup. They lost only one game during the qualification rounds. In the World Cup, they drew 1–1 with the host United States, won 4–1 against Romania, and lost 2–0 to Colombia. They made it out of their group but were then defeated 3–0 by Spain.

The Köbi Kuhn Era (2000–2008)

Switzerland qualified for UEFA Euro 1996 by topping their group. However, their performance in the tournament was disappointing. They finished last in their group after drawing with England and losing to the Netherlands and Scotland. They did not qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

For UEFA Euro 2004, Switzerland again topped their qualifying group. In the finals in Portugal, they were in a tough group with France, England, and Croatia. They drew 0–0 with Croatia but lost to England and France. Johan Vonlanthen became the youngest goalscorer in Euros history during this tournament.

Switzerland qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup by beating Turkey. In the World Cup, they drew 0–0 with France and beat Togo 2–0. They then beat South Korea 2–0 to win their group. In the Round of 16, they lost to Ukraine in a penalty shootout. Switzerland was the only team to be eliminated without conceding a single goal in open play.

Switzerland co-hosted UEFA Euro 2008 with Austria. They lost their first two matches to the Czech Republic and Turkey. They won their final group game 2–0 against Portugal.

The Ottmar Hitzfeld Era (2008–2014)

In their first match at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Switzerland famously defeated eventual champions Spain 1–0. However, they were still eliminated in the group stage. A goal against Chile ended their record of 559 minutes without conceding a goal in World Cup matches. They drew 0–0 with Honduras in their final group match.

The Switzerland national team line-up before a friendly match against Argentina, 29 February 2012. Switzerland lost 1–3.

Switzerland did not qualify for UEFA Euro 2012. They finished third in their qualifying group. Xherdan Shaqiri was their top goalscorer during this period.

At the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Switzerland advanced to the Round of 16. They secured a 3–0 win over Honduras, with Xherdan Shaqiri scoring all three goals. In the knockout match, they lost 1–0 to Argentina in the 118th minute.

The Vladimir Petković Era (2016–2021)

At Euro 2016, Switzerland was in a group with hosts France, Albania, and Romania. They won 1–0 against Albania and drew 1–1 with Romania. Their final group game against France was a 0–0 draw. Switzerland finished second in their group. In the Round of 16, they faced Poland. Xherdan Shaqiri scored a spectacular bicycle-kick goal to equalize. The game went to extra time and then penalties, where Switzerland lost 5–4.

For the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Switzerland had a strong qualifying campaign. They started with a surprising 2–0 win over European champions Portugal. They won nine of their ten group games. They then won a play-off against Northern Ireland to reach the World Cup finals in Russia. Before the World Cup, Switzerland was ranked 6th in the world.

The Switzerland national team line-up before the game against Sweden, on 3 July 2018, in Saint Petersburg

At the 2018 World Cup, Switzerland drew 1–1 with Brazil and beat Serbia 2–1. They drew their final group game 2–2 with Costa Rica, finishing second in the group. In the Round of 16, they lost 1–0 to Sweden.

Switzerland also played in the first UEFA Nations League in 2018–19. They finished first in their group in League A.

At UEFA Euro 2020 (played in 2021), Switzerland finished third in their group. They qualified for the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams. In the Round of 16, they famously defeated World Cup champions France on penalties after a thrilling 3–3 draw. This was their first knockout phase win in a major tournament since 1938. In the quarter-finals against Spain, they again went to penalties but lost after converting only one of their four attempts.

The Murat Yakin Era (2021–Present)

Murat Yakin became the manager of the Swiss national team on August 9, 2021. Under his leadership, Switzerland finished first in their 2022 World Cup qualifying group, ahead of Italy. This secured their spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In the World Cup, Switzerland finished second in their group. They qualified for the Round of 16, where they lost 6–1 to Portugal.

In 2023, Switzerland qualified for UEFA Euro 2024. They finished second in their qualifying group. The Euro 2024 tournament was a big success for Switzerland. They finished second in their group and moved to the Round of 16. There, they caused a major upset by defeating defending champions Italy. This sent them to the quarter-finals for the second time in their history.

Switzerland is currently participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They have successfully advanced through the group stage, the Round of 32, and the Round of 16, where they won a penalty shootout against Colombia. They are now in the quarter-finals.

Team Image

Kit

The Switzerland national team's main home kit is red shirts, white shorts, and red socks. Their away kit is usually white shirts, red shorts, and white socks. Sometimes, they wear all-red or all-white kits. Since the team started in 1895, they have always used these colors. This is a tribute to the national colors from the Swiss flag. Their current kit manufacturer is Puma, who has made their kits since 1998.

Kit Sponsorship

Supplier	Period
Le Coq Sportif	1970–1975
Adidas	1976–1989
Blacky	1990–1992
Lotto	1993–1997
Puma	1998–present

Coaching Staff

Current head coach Murat Yakin

The current coaching staff helps the team perform at its best.

Position	Name
Head coach	Murat Yakin
Assistant coach	Davide Callà
Goalkeeping coach	Patrick Foletti
Fitness coach	Oliver Riedwyl
Doctor	Ludwig Scholzer
Physiotherapist	Marcel Müllenberger
Match analyst	Kevin Ehmes
Masseur	Wolfgang Frei
Nutritionist	Antonio Molina
Chef	Francesco Baraldo Sano
Team coordinator	Diego Benaglio

Players

Current Squad

These 26 players were chosen for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and friendly matches before the tournament. Caps and goals are updated as of July 7, 2026, after the match against Colombia.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Gregor Kobel	(1997-12-06) 6 December 1997 (age 28)	26	0	Borussia Dortmund
12	1GK	Yvon Mvogo	(1994-06-06) 6 June 1994 (age 32)	13	0	Lorient
21	1GK	Marvin Keller	(2002-07-03) 3 July 2002 (age 24)	1	0	Young Boys
2	2DF	Miro Muheim	(1998-03-24) 24 March 1998 (age 28)	12	0	Hamburger SV
3	2DF	Silvan Widmer	(1993-03-05) 5 March 1993 (age 33)	64	5	Mainz 05
4	2DF	Nico Elvedi	(1996-09-30) 30 September 1996 (age 29)	72	3	Borussia Mönchengladbach
5	2DF	Manuel Akanji (Fourth Captain)	(1995-07-19) 19 July 1995 (age 31)	86	4	Inter Milan
13	2DF	Ricardo Rodriguez (Vice-Captain)	(1992-08-25) 25 August 1992 (age 33)	143	9	Unattached
18	2DF	Eray Cömert	(1998-02-04) 4 February 1998 (age 28)	22	0	Unattached
24	2DF	Aurèle Amenda	(2003-07-31) 31 July 2003 (age 22)	7	0	Eintracht Frankfurt
25	2DF	Luca Jaquez	(2003-06-02) 2 June 2003 (age 23)	5	0	VfB Stuttgart
6	3MF	Denis Zakaria	(1996-11-20) 20 November 1996 (age 29)	68	3	Monaco
8	3MF	Remo Freuler (Third Captain)	(1992-04-15) 15 April 1992 (age 34)	93	11	Bologna
9	3MF	Johan Manzambi	(2005-10-14) 14 October 2005 (age 20)	16	6	SC Freiburg
10	3MF	Granit Xhaka (Captain)	(1992-09-27) 27 September 1992 (age 33)	151	18	Sunderland
14	3MF	Ardon Jashari	(2002-07-30) 30 July 2002 (age 23)	10	0	Milan
15	3MF	Djibril Sow	(1997-02-06) 6 February 1997 (age 29)	55	0	Sevilla
16	3MF	Christian Fassnacht	(1993-11-11) 11 November 1993 (age 32)	24	5	Young Boys
20	3MF	Michel Aebischer	(1997-01-06) 6 January 1997 (age 29)	44	2	Pisa
22	3MF	Fabian Rieder	(2002-02-16) 16 February 2002 (age 24)	32	1	FC Augsburg
7	4FW	Breel Embolo (Fifth Captain)	(1997-02-14) 14 February 1997 (age 29)	91	26	Rennes
11	4FW	Dan Ndoye	(2000-10-25) 25 October 2000 (age 25)	36	9	Nottingham Forest
17	4FW	Rubén Vargas	(1998-08-05) 5 August 1998 (age 27)	66	13	Sevilla
19	4FW	Noah Okafor	(2000-05-24) 24 May 2000 (age 26)	26	2	Leeds United
23	4FW	Zeki Amdouni	(2000-12-04) 4 December 2000 (age 25)	32	11	Burnley
26	4FW	Cedric Itten	(1996-12-27) 27 December 1996 (age 29)	18	5	Fortuna Düsseldorf

Recent Call-ups

These players have been called up for the team in the last 12 months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Pascal Loretz	(2003-06-01) 1 June 2003 (age 23)	0	0	Luzern	v.  Slovenia, 8 September 2025
DF	Bećir Omeragić	(2002-01-20) 20 January 2002 (age 24)	7	0	Basel	v.  Kosovo, 18 November 2025
DF	Isaac Schmidt	(1999-12-07) 7 December 1999 (age 26)	5	0	Werder Bremen	v.  Kosovo, 18 November 2025
DF	Adrian Bajrami	(2002-04-05) 5 April 2002 (age 24)	1	0	Luzern	v.  Kosovo, 18 November 2025
DF	Zachary Athekame	(2004-12-13) 13 December 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Milan	v.  Slovenia, 13 October 2025
MF	Vincent Sierro	(1995-10-08) 8 October 1995 (age 30)	15	1	Al-Shabab	v.  Norway, 31 March 2026
MF	Joël Monteiro	(1999-08-05) 5 August 1999 (age 26)	7	2	Young Boys	v.  Norway, 31 March 2026
MF	Alvyn Sanches	(2003-02-12) 12 February 2003 (age 23)	3	0	Young Boys	v.  Norway, 31 March 2026
MF	Filip Ugrinić	(1999-01-05) 5 January 1999 (age 27)	4	0	Valencia	v.  Germany, 27 March 2026 INJ
MF	Simon Sohm	(2001-04-11) 11 April 2001 (age 25)	4	0	Bologna	v.  Kosovo, 18 November 2025
FW	Andi Zeqiri	(1999-06-22) 22 June 1999 (age 27)	18	1	Widzew Łódź	v.  Kosovo, 18 November 2025
Notes INJ = Not part of the current squad due to injury. INE = Ineligible for selection.

Individual Statistics

These are some interesting facts about the players who have played for Switzerland.

Players in bold are still active with Switzerland.

Most Appearances

Granit Xhaka is Switzerland's most-capped player, with 151 appearances.

Top Goalscorers

Alexander Frei is Switzerland's top scorer with 42 goals.

Competitive Record

Switzerland's best results include reaching the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup three times (1934, 1938, 1954) and the quarter-finals of the Euro in 2020 and 2024. They also won a silver medal at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Did not enter										Declined invitation
1934	Quarter-finals	7th	2	1	0	1	5	5	Squad		2	0	2	0	4	4
1938		7th	3	1	1	1	5	5	Squad		1	1	0	0	2	1
1950	Group stage	6th	3	1	1	1	4	6	Squad		2	2	0	0	8	4
1954	Quarter-finals	8th	4	2	0	2	11	11	Squad		Qualified as hosts
1958	Did not qualify										4	0	1	3	6	11
1962	Group stage	16th	3	0	0	3	2	8	Squad		5	4	0	1	11	10
1966		16th	3	0	0	3	1	9	Squad		6	4	1	1	7	3
1970	Did not qualify										6	2	1	3	5	8
1974											6	2	2	2	2	4
1978											4	1	0	3	3	5
1982											8	2	3	3	9	12
1986											8	2	4	2	5	10
1990											8	2	1	5	10	14
1994	Round of 16	16th	4	1	1	2	5	7	Squad		10	6	3	1	23	6
1998	Did not qualify										8	3	1	4	11	12
2002											10	4	2	4	18	12
2006	Round of 16	10th	4	2	2	0	4	0	Squad		12	5	6	1	22	11
2010	Group stage	19th	3	1	1	1	1	1	Squad		10	6	3	1	18	8
2014	Round of 16	11th	4	2	0	2	7	7	Squad		10	7	3	0	17	6
2018		14th	4	1	2	1	5	5	Squad		12	10	1	1	24	7
2022		12th	4	2	0	2	5	9	Squad		8	5	3	0	15	2
2026	Quarter-finals	TBD	5	3	2	0	9	3	Squad		6	4	2	0	14	2
2030	To be determined										To be determined
2034
Total	Quarter-finals	13/23	46	17	10	19	64	76	—		146	72	39	35	234	152

* Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

** Red border colour indicates that the tournament was held on home soil.

UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship record											Qualifying record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1960	Did not enter										Did not enter
1964	Did not qualify										2	0	1	1	2	4
1968											6	2	1	3	17	13
1972											6	4	1	1	12	5
1976											6	1	1	4	5	10
1980											8	2	0	6	7	18
1984											6	2	2	2	7	9
1988											8	1	5	2	9	9
1992											8	4	2	2	19	7
1996	Group stage	13th	3	0	1	2	1	4	Squad		8	5	2	1	15	7
2000	Did not qualify										8	4	2	2	9	5
2004	Group stage	15th	3	0	1	2	1	6	Squad		8	4	3	1	15	11
2008		9th	3	1	0	2	3	3	Squad		Qualified as co-hosts
2012	Did not qualify										8	3	2	3	12	10
2016	Round of 16	11th	4	1	3	0	3	2	Squad		10	7	0	3	24	8
2020	Quarter-finals	7th	5	1	3	1	8	9	Squad		8	5	2	1	19	6
2024		6th	5	2	3	0	8	4	Squad		10	4	5	1	22	11
2028	To be determined										To be determined
2032
Total	Quarter-finals	6/17	23	5	11	7	24	28	—		110	48	29	33	194	133

* Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

** Red border colour indicates that the tournament was held on home soil.

UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League record
League phase													Finals
Season	LG	Grp	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	P/R	RK		Year	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
2018–19	A	2	1st	4	3	0	1	14	5		1st		2019	4th	2	0	1	1	1	3	Squad
2020–21	A	4	3rd	6	1	3	2	9	8		11th		2021	Did not qualify
2022–23	A	2	3rd	6	3	0	3	6	9		9th		2023
2024–25	A	4	4th	6	0	2	4	6	14		15th		2025
2026–27	B	TBD	To be determined										2027
Total				16	7	3	6	29	22	4th		Total			2	0	1	1	1	3	—

* Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Olympic Games

Olympic Games record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1924	Silver medal	2nd	6	4	1	1	15	6	Squad
1928	Round of 16	13th	1	0	0	1	0	4	Squad
Since 1992	See Switzerland national under-23 football team
Total			7	4	1	2	15	10	—

* Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Honours

Global

• Olympic Games
  • Silver medal (1): 1924

Summary

Competition				Total
Olympic Games	0	1	0	1
Total	0	1	0	1

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Suiza para niños

• List of Switzerland international footballers
• Switzerland national under-23 football team (Switzerland Olympic team)
• Switzerland national under-21 football team
• Switzerland national under-20 football team
• Switzerland national under-19 football team
• Switzerland national under-18 football team
• Switzerland national under-17 football team
• Switzerland national under-16 football team
• Swiss Footballer of the Year