World Cup qualifying duel in the ticker: Goalless 1st half in the rain in Pristina | blue News

The Swiss national team has qualified for the 2026 World Cup.

KEYSTONE

The Swiss national team impresses with its consistency. By qualifying for the 2026 finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico, it will be represented at a World Cup for the sixth time in a row.

This will be Switzerland’s 13th appearance at a World Cup. For a long time, however, finals were the exception rather than the rule. When the Swiss qualified for the 1994 World Cup in the USA, they ended a 28-year drought. The following two tournaments were again held without Switzerland.

A new era only began with the “summer fairytale” in Germany in 2006 under coach Köbi Kuhn. Since then, the national team has reached every World Cup final round. Ottmar Hitzfeld coached the team in 2010 (South Africa) and 2014 (Brazil), Vladimir Petkovic in 2018 (Russia). Before 2022 in Qatar, Murat Yakin took over, who will also be on the touchline in 2026.

A look at the statistics shows just how remarkable this series is: only five other European teams have played in every World Cup final since 2006: Germany, England, France, Spain and Portugal. These top nations have even longer participation streaks.

If you include the European Championships, the Swiss record is even more impressive: since 2004, the national team has only missed one European Championship – the one in 2012. With the exception of the 2008 European Championship, for which Switzerland was seeded as co-host, it has successfully completed ten of the last eleven qualifiers.

The live ticker to review

• #Before the game

  Two changes to the Nati starting eleven
  

  Compared to the last match, coach Murat Yakin makes two changes to the starting line-up against Kosovo: Djibril Sow and Johan Manzambi start in place of Dan Ndoye and Fabian Rieder.

  This will be Manzambi’s first competitive match from the start. The player from Bundesliga club Freiburg earned his nomination with strong performances as a substitute. While the 20-year-old is likely to be deployed on the wing, Sow will probably play in the center. Ruben Vargas completes the trio behind striker Breel Embolo.

  In defense, Yakin will rely on the tried and tested personnel for the last game of the World Cup qualifiers. As usual, Silvan Widmer, Nico Elvedi, Manuel Akanji and Ricardo Rodriguez will form the back four in front of Gregor Kobel. In defensive midfield, Michel Aebischer will once again line up alongside captain Granit Xhaka.

  It is noticeable that Albian Hajdari and Leon Avdullahu are not on the match sheet for Kosovo. Coach Franco Foda has given the two Hoffenheim internationals a break as they would be suspended for the first play-off game if they pick up another yellow card. Instead, Fisnik Asllani is the third Hoffenheim player in the starting line-up. Together with Vedat Muriqi, he forms the forward line.

• #Before the game

  The Swiss U17 team beats Ireland 3:1 and advances to the World Cup quarter-finals
  

  Switzerland also survive their second knockout match at the U17 World Cup in Qatar. Coach Luigi Pisino’s team beat Ireland 3:1 and will face Portugal in the quarter-finals. Click here for the article.

  Adrien Llukes (left) celebrates his goal to make it 1-0 against Ireland. (KEYSTONE/Hussein Sayed)

  KEYSTONE

• #Before the game

  Avdullahu and Hajdari will probably not play
  

  The international transfers of former U-Nat players Leon Avdullahu and Albian Hajdari caused quite a stir at the start of qualifying. Accordingly, the two would have been in the spotlight in Tuesday evening’s clash. However, it appears that Avdullahu and Hajdari will not play against Switzerland.

  According to Blick, the Hoffenheim professionals will only be in the stands. Not because of their past in the national team jersey, but because both have a yellow card and would therefore risk a ban in the play-offs if they receive another caution.

  A sign that Kosovo coach Franco Foda has already resigned himself to 2nd place in the group. Foda had already said at the media conference on Monday that it was “impossible” to make up a 6-0 deficit.

• #Before the game

  Albert Bunjaku: “Dual nationals will no longer choose Switzerland immediately”
  

  What’s it like when your heart beats for two countries? Albert Bunjaku knows. He went to the World Cup with Switzerland and later became Kosovo’s first-ever goalscorer. Bunjaku spoke to blue Sport about changing nations, the development of Kosovan football and the duel against Switzerland. Click here for the article.

  Albert Bunjaku became the first-ever goalscorer for the Kosovo national team.

  Keystone

• #Before the game

  Challandes: “The Kosovars never give up”
  

  Bernard Challandes was Kosovo’s national team coach between 2018 and 2021. In an interview with our colleagues from French-speaking Switzerland, the 74-year-old spoke about the Kosovars and their football. “It’s a people who love football. The players are celebrated by the fans,” said Challandes.

  He continued: “The strength of their football is their mentality. It’s a team that never gives up, that stands compactly in defense with five players, defends aggressively and then plays quickly forward. Yes, there are players who can make the difference individually, but for me it’s a real team. Some leading players like Milot Rashica have been benched, and that says it all!”

  Bernard Challandes was national coach of Kosovo between 2018 and 2021.

  Keystone

• #Ahead of the game

  Yakin wants to start with a broad chest
  

  Switzerland could theoretically lose 5-0 on Tuesday evening and still be guaranteed a ticket to the 2026 World Cup. The team has earned this comfortable starting position thanks to strong performances in the fall, said Murat Yakin at the press conference in Pristina on Monday. However, he added that his team would not just be concentrating on defending on Tuesday.

• #Before the game

  Hajdari: “It’s not just about football – it’s about identity, perspective, pride”
  

  Albian Hajdari made his debut for the Swiss national team in March, but then decided to play for Kosovo. The dual national spoke to blue Sport about the change of nation, the development of Kosovan football and the upcoming duel. Click here for the interview.

• #Before the game

  The assessment of blue Sport editor-in-chief Andy Böni
  

• 90.+4.

  Yellow card Kosovo

• 89.

  Substitution in Switzerland

  Christian Fassnacht

  Striker

• 89.

  Substitution out Switzerland

• 86.

  Substitution in Kosovo

• 86.

  Substitution out Kosovo

• 86.

  Substitution in Kosovo

• 86.

  Substitution out Kosovo

  Florent Muslija

  Midfielder

• 75.

  Substitution in Switzerland

• 75.

  Substitution out Switzerland

• 75.

  Substitution in Switzerland

• 75.

  Substitution out Switzerland

• 74.

  Goal for Kosovo, 1:1 through Florent Muslija

  Florent Muslija

  Midfielder

• 71.

  Substitution in Kosovo

• 71.

  Substitution out Kosovo

• 69.

  Substitution in Switzerland

• 69.

  Substitution out Switzerland

• 69.

  Substitution in Switzerland

• 69.

  Substitution out Switzerland

• 62.

  Substitution in Kosovo

• 62.

  Substitution out Kosovo

• 62.

  Substitution in Kosovo

• 62.

  Substitution out Kosovo

• 47.

  Goal for Switzerland, 0:1 through Ruben Vargas (Djibril Sow)

  Assist: Djibril Sow

  Midfielder