Switzerland national football team
The Switzerland national football team (German: Schweizer Fussballnationalmannschaft, Italian: Nazionale di calcio della Svizzera, French: Équipe nationale suisse de football, Romansh: Squadra naziunala da ballape da la Svizra) represents Switzerland in international football. The national team is controlled by the Swiss Football Association.
| Nickname(s) | A-Team Nati (National Team) Rossocrociati (Red Crosses) |
|---|---|
| Association | Swiss Football Association |
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) |
| Head coach | Murat Yakin |
| Captain | Granit Xhaka |
| Most caps | Heinz Hermann (118)[1] |
| Top scorer | Alexander Frei (42) |
| Home stadium | Various |
| FIFA code | SUI |
| FIFA ranking | |
| Current | 12 3 (22 December 2022)[2] |
| 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 | 12 (first in 1934) |
| Best result | Quarter-finals (1934, 1938, 1954) |
| European Championship | |
| Appearances | 5 (first in 1996) |
| Best result | Quarter-finals (2020) |
| Nations League Finals | |
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2019) |
| Best result | Fourth place (2019) |
Medal record | |
Switzerland's best performances at the FIFA World Cup were three quarter-final appearances, in 1934, 1938 and 1954. They hosted the competition in 1954, where they played against Austria in the quarter-final match, losing 7–5, which today still stands as the highest scoring World Cup match ever.[4] At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Switzerland set a FIFA World Cup record by being eliminated from the tournament despite not conceding a single goal, being eliminated by Ukraine after penalties in the round of sixteen. They did not concede a goal until a match against Chile at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, conceding in the 75th minute, setting a World Cup finals record for consecutive minutes without conceding a goal.[5]
Switzerland and Austria were the co-hosts of UEFA Euro 2008, where the Swiss made their third appearance in the competition, but failed for a third time to progress from the group stage.[6][7] However, since then, the Swiss made it to the Round of 16 during UEFA Euro 2016, and achieved a record-best quarter-final showing at UEFA Euro 2020.[8][9]
Overall, Switzerland's best ever result at an official football competition was the silver medal they earned in 1924, after losing to Uruguay 3–0 in the final of the 1924 Olympic Games.[10]
History
1924–1966: Early years, host nation
At the 1924 Paris Olympic Games, Switzerland finished with a silver medal after losing to Uruguay in the final, losing 3–0.[10] The team's debut appearance at the World Cup was in 1934, where they reached the quarter-finals after beating the Netherlands 3–2 in the round of sixteen before getting knocked out by Czechoslovakia.[11][12] Switzerland once again reached the quarter-finals in 1938; after beating Germany in the round of sixteen, winning 4–2 after a replay but were knocked out by Hungary, losing 2–0.[13][14][15] At the 1950 World Cup, Switzerland were drawn in a group with Brazil, Yugoslavia and Mexico, where they lost 4–0 to Yugoslavia in the opening match, drew 2–2 with Brazil in their second match and beating Mexico 2–1 in their final group mach, and finished third in their group.[16] On 22 July 1946, Switzerland was awarded the right to host the 1954 FIFA World Cup unopposed, in Luxembourg City.[17] At the World Cup, Switzerland finished second in their group behind England; beating Italy and losing to England,[18] but qualified for the quarter-finals after beating Italy in a group play-off.[19] They were knocked out of the tournament after losing 7–5 to Austria.[20] At the 1962 World Cup, Switzerland finished bottom of the group, losing all three games, losing 3–1 to Chile, 2–1 to West Germany and 3–0 to Italy.[21] A similar result occurred at the 1966 World Cup, where Switzerland again finished at the bottom of their group losing all three of their matches, 5–0 to West Germany, 2–1 to Spain and 2–0 to Argentina.[22]
1992–1996: the Roy Hodgson era
In 1992, Switzerland appointed English manager Roy Hodgson as head coach of the national team; and at the time of his appointment, the Swiss had not qualified for any major tournament since 1966.[23] Under his guidance, Switzerland rose to 3rd in the FIFA World Ranking in August 1993, which still remains their highest FIFA ranking to this day.[24] Hodgson led Switzerland to the 1994 FIFA World Cup, losing just one game during qualifying, in a group that included Italy, and much fancied Portugal, and Scotland.[citation needed] The Swiss won their home tie with Italy, and in the away game, took a 2–0 lead before being pegged back to a 2–2 draw, and also took four points from Scotland, winning 3–1 at home and drawing 1–1 away.[25][26][27] Against the Portuguese, Switzerland drew 1–1 at home and lost 1–0 in the away fixture in Porto, their only defeat of the qualifying campaign.[28][29] Their opening match against the United States, on 18 June 1994, was played indoors; in the Pontiac Silverdome, and the two teams drew 1–1 in the opening match of the 1994 FIFA World Cup.[30] In the next match, they won 4–1 over Romania, and in their final game against Colombia, lost 2–0.[31][32] Nevertheless, Switzerland still qualified from the group, but were knocked out by Spain, losing 3–0.[33]
2000–2008: the Köbi Kuhn era
At UEFA Euro 1996, Switzerland once again easily qualified for the tournament finals hosted in England, as they topped their qualifying group, losing just once; which was a 1–2 defeat to Turkey.[34][35] They were drawn in Group A, but their tournament was disappointing overall; as they finished bottom of the group.[36] Their opening match was against hosts England, and the two sides drew 1–1.[37] In their second match, they lost 2–0 to the Netherlands, and in their final group game, lost 1–0 to Scotland.[38][39] Switzerland failed to qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, hosted in France, as they finished fourth in their qualifying group, winning three games; 3–2 against Finland, 1–0 against Hungary and 5–0 against Azerbaijan, drawing one game against Hungary (1–1), and losing three games; 1–0 against Azerbaijan and losing both games against Norway, losing 1–0 at home and 5–0 away.[40]
In qualifying for UEFA Euro 2004, Switzerland finished top of a group that featured Russia, the Republic of Ireland, Albania and Georgia.[41] The Swiss finished with 21 points and qualified for the finals in Portugal; where they were drawn in Group B with defending champions France, England and Croatia. They began the tournament with 0–0 draw with Croatia before succumbing to a 3–0 defeat to England in the next match.[42][43] They lost their final match against France; losing 3–1 and finishing bottom of the group.[44][45] Their only goal of the entire tournament was scored by Johan Vonlanthen, who became the youngest ever goalscorer at the Euros when he scored the equalizing goal against France; surpassing the previous record set only four days earlier by Wayne Rooney by three months.[46]
The Swiss managed to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, overcoming Turkey by away goal rule in Istanbul, the country's first World Cup since 1994.[47] In the tournament, Switzerland was drawn in Group G with former world champions France, 2002 World Cup's fourth-place finisher South Korea and debutant Togo. In the first encounter against France, Switzerland bravely held the mighty France of Zinedine Zidane 0–0,[48] before overcoming the Togolese 2–0 in the second match, tied with the South Koreans four points, however the Swiss were inferior to the Koreans by number of goal scored, meaning that the last game a must-win.[49] The Swiss then managed to beat South Korea 2–0 in the final match, occupying the first place in their group and also knocking the Asians out of the tournament.[50] In the round of sixteen, Switzerland faced Ukraine, but lost on penalty shootout in a match that has been criticized as the "worst game" in World Cup history.[51] Yet, Switzerland was the only team to be eliminated without conceding a single goal.
Switzerland, along with Austria, were chosen as co-hosts of UEFA Euro 2008.[52] Switzerland were drawn in Group A with Portugal, Turkey and the Czech Republic.[6] Their opening match was a 1–0 loss to the Czech Republic, followed by a 1–2 defeat to Turkey.[53][7] Their third match was against Portugal, with Switzerland winning 2–0 to ensure that Portugal would top their group with a defeat.[54]
2008–2014: the Ottmar Hitzfeld era
In their first match at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the team defeated eventual champions Spain 1–0 with a goal by Gelson Fernandes, but they were still eliminated in the group stage.[55] In the second match, a goal scored by Mark González in the 75th minute of the game against Chile ended a 559-minute streak without conceding a goal in World Cup matches, beating the record previously held by Italy by nine minutes.[56][57][58] Switzerland did not advance further than the group after a 0–0 draw with Honduras in the third and final group match.[59]
Switzerland did not qualify for UEFA Euro 2012; missing out on the tournament for the first time in a decade, as they finished third in the qualifying group, a group featuring England, Montenegro, Wales and Bulgaria.[61] Switzerland's initial start in qualifying was overall poor; losing 1–3 to England in the first game played, in which Xherdan Shaqiri scored his first goal for the national team, followed by a 1–0 defeat to Montenegro.[62][63] Switzerland then recorded a 4–1 win over Wales before consecutive draws against Bulgaria (0–0) and England (2–2).[64][65][66] Switzerland's hopes of qualifying were restored with a 3–1 win over Bulgaria, with a hat-trick from Xherdan Shaqiri.[67] However, following a 2–0 loss to Wales (in which Reto Ziegler earned a red card) and Montenegro's surprising last-minute equalizer against England in a 2–2 draw, Switzerland's hopes of qualifying were mathematically made impossible.[68][69] In the final game, Switzerland earned redemption against Montenegro as they came out with a 2–0 win.[70] Switzerland's top goalscorer during the qualifying period was Xherdan Shaqiri, with 4 goals.[71]
At the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Switzerland were drawn to play France, Honduras and Ecuador in the group stage.[72] They advanced to the round of sixteen with a 3–0 win over Honduras, with a hat-trick from Xherdan Shaqiri. In the knockout match against Argentina, they lost 1–0, conceding to Ángel Di María in the 118th minute.[73][74]
2016–2021: the Vladimir Petković era
At Euro 2016, Switzerland were selected to play in Group A of the tournament; alongside hosts France, Albania and Romania.[citation needed] In the first game, Switzerland won 1–0 over Albania, with the only goal being scored by Fabian Schär in the 5th minute of the game.[75] The next match was a 1–1 draw with Romania, with Switzerland initially conceding from a penalty but equalizing in the second half following a goal from Admir Mehmedi.[76] The final group game was against France, drawing 0–0. However, the game spread notoriety for several Swiss players' jerseys being ripped during challenges with the French players, and also for the ball bursting during a challenge between Antoine Griezmann and Valon Behrami when they both converged on the ball, with the game also attracting attention for its poor surface, which was criticized by both coaches and players of the two teams; after the game, Switzerland's kit manufacturer had blamed "faulty material" for the incidents regarding the jerseys being ripped.[77][78][79] Switzerland, due to the draw, finished second in the group to set up a tie against Poland in the round of sixteen; initially the Swiss conceded but managed to find a late equalizer from Xherdan Shaqiri, who scored a bicycle-kick to send the game into extra-time, but the Swiss were knocked out as Granit Xhaka had missed the second penalty during the penalty shootout, as all other players managed to convert their penalties, with Poland winning 5–4 on penalties to go through and knock out the Swiss.[80][81][82] In qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Switzerland were drawn with Portugal, Hungary, Faroe Islands, Latvia and Andorra.[83] The Swiss began their qualifying group with a shock 2–0 win over European champions Portugal, who had won the tournament less than two months prior to playing with them on 6 September.[84] Afterwards, they beat Hungary 2–3, Andorra 2–1, Faroe Islands 2–0, Latvia 1–0 in the first five games, leading the group on maximum points.[85][86][87][88] In the reverse fixtures, they beat Faroe Islands 2–0, Andorra 3–0, Latvia 3–0 and Hungary 5–2,[89][90][91][92] before facing Portugal in the final group game, where they lost 2–0,[93] meaning they would have to play in the play-offs; where they were ranked as the best second-placed team,[83][94] and were drawn to play Northern Ireland. In the first leg, played on 9 November, they won 1–0 through a controversial penalty scored by Ricardo Rodríguez, and three days later played in the second leg, drawing 0–0 and advancing to the World Cup finals in Russia with a 1–0 aggregate win.[95][96][97] Before the World Cup, Switzerland were ranked 6th in the world ranking, even ranking higher than eventual World Cup winners France.[98]
At the World Cup, Switzerland were drawn to play Brazil, Serbia and Costa Rica in Group E.[100] They began their campaign with a 1–1 draw with Brazil,[101] before beating Serbia 2–1 through a late winning goal from Xherdan Shaqiri.[102] The game with Serbia sparked controversy for the celebrations performed by goalscorers Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka (both ethnic Albanians), along with Stephan Lichtsteiner as the trio performed a celebration where they crossed their hands to depict a double-headed eagle, the official emblem of Albania, considered by many as an Albanian nationalist symbol, however, they were not banned by FIFA for this.[103][104][105][106] Their final group game was with Costa Rica; which they drew 2–2, with Blerim Džemaili and Josip Drmić scoring; thus finishing second in the group.[107] They were drawn to play Sweden in the round of sixteen; a fixture they lost 1–0, getting knocked out of the tournament.[108]
On 23 January 2018, Switzerland were selected to play in the inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations League; a tournament contested by all UEFA member's national teams, being drawn to play in League A, in Group 2, against Belgium and Iceland.[109][110]
At Euro 2020, Switzerland finished third in Group A which had Italy, Wales and Turkey; however, they managed to qualify to the next round as one of the best third-placed teams. In the round of 16, they defeated World Cup champions France on penalties, after finishing a 3–3 draw and overcoming from a 1–3 second half deficit, to have their first knockout phase win in a major tournament since the 1938 FIFA World Cup.[111][112] In the subsequent quarter-final game against Spain, they once again took the game to penalties, after trailing 1–0. However, after converting only one of their four penalties, they exited the tournament at this stage.[113]
2021–present: the Murat Yakin era
On 9 August 2021, Yakin became the manager of the Swiss national team.[114] During the 2022 World Cup qualification, Switzerland finished in the first place ahead of Italy in Group C, which granted them a spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[115] During the World Cup, Switzerland finished second in Group G to qualify the round of 16, where they lost 6–1 to Portugal.[116]
Team image
Kit
The Switzerland national team's traditional home kit is red shirts, white shorts and red socks, with the away kit being reverse with white shirts, red shorts and white socks, although the colours of the shorts and socks are interchangeable if there is a minor clash. Switzerland, ever since being established in 1895, have always had the same colour code, as tradition and homage to the national colours which are derived from the Swiss flag. The current kit manufacturer is Puma, who have made their kits since 1998.
Kit sponsorship
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.[117]
2022
| 26 March 2022 Friendly | England | 2–1 | Switzerland | London, England |
| 17:30 UTC+1 | Report |
| Stadium: Wembley Stadium Attendance: 78,881 Referee: Andreas Ekberg (Sweden) |
| 29 March 2022 Friendly | Switzerland | 1–1 | Kosovo | Zürich, Switzerland |
| 18:00 UTC+2 | Lotomba 61' | Report | Rashica 52' | Stadium: Letzigrund Attendance: 20,800 Referee: Ruddy Buquet (France) |
| 2 June 2022 2022–23 Nations League | Czech Republic | 2–1 | Switzerland | Prague, Czech Republic |
| 20:45 UTC+2 | Report |
| Stadium: Sinobo Stadium Attendance: 12,236 Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany) |
| 5 June 2022 2022–23 Nations League | Portugal | 4–0 | Switzerland | Lisbon, Portugal |
| 19:45 UTC+1 | Report | Stadium: Estádio José Alvalade Attendance: 42,325 Referee: Orel Grinfeeld (Israel) |
| 9 June 2022 2022–23 Nations League | Switzerland | 0–1 | Spain | Geneva, Switzerland |
| 20:45 UTC+2 | Report |
| Stadium: Stade de Genève Attendance: 25,875 Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük (Netherlands) |
| 12 June 2022 2022–23 Nations League | Switzerland | 1–0 | Portugal | Geneva, Switzerland |
| 20:45 UTC+2 |
| Report | Stadium: Stade de Genève Attendance: 26,300 Referee: Fran Jović (Croatia) |
| 24 September 2022 2022–23 Nations League | Spain | 1–2 | Switzerland | Zaragoza, Spain |
| 20:45 UTC+2 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio La Romareda Attendance: 31,804 Referee: Clément Turpin (France) |
| 27 September 2022 2022–23 Nations League | Switzerland | 2–1 | Czech Republic | St. Gallen, Switzerland |
| 20:45 UTC+2 | Report |
| Stadium: Kybunpark Attendance: 13,353 Referee: Irfan Peljto (Bosnia and Herzegovina) |
| 17 November 2022 Friendly | Ghana | 2–0 | Switzerland | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
| 14:00 UTC+4 | Report | Stadium: Zayed Sports City Stadium Attendance: 650 Referee: Ahmed Issa (United Arab Emirates) |
| 24 November 2022 2022 FIFA World Cup | Switzerland | 1–0 | Cameroon | Al Wakrah, Qatar |
| 13:00 UTC+3 |
| Report | Stadium: Al Janoub Stadium Attendance: 39,089 Referee: Facundo Tello (Argentina) |
| 28 November 2022 2022 FIFA World Cup | Brazil | 1–0 | Switzerland | Doha, Qatar |
| 19:00 UTC+3 |
| Report | Stadium: Stadium 974 Attendance: 43,649 Referee: Iván Barton (El Salvador) |
| 2 December 2022 2022 FIFA World Cup | Serbia | 2–3 | Switzerland | Doha, Qatar |
| 22:00 UTC+3 |
| Report | Stadium: Stadium 974 Attendance: 41,378 Referee: Fernando Rapallini (Argentina) |
| 6 December 2022 2022 FIFA World Cup R16 | Portugal | 6–1 | Switzerland | Lusail, Qatar |
| 22:00 UTC+3 | Report |
| Stadium: Lusail Iconic Stadium Attendance: 83,720 Referee: César Arturo Ramos (Mexico) |
2023
| 25 March 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Belarus | v | Switzerland | Novi Sad, Serbia |
| 18:00 UTC+1 | Report | Stadium: Karađorđe Stadium |
| 28 March 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Switzerland | v | Israel | Geneva, Switzerland |
| 20:45 UTC+1 | Report | Stadium: Stade de Genève |
| 16 June 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Andorra | v | Switzerland | Andorra la Vella, Andorra |
| 20:45 UTC+2 | Report | Stadium: Estadi Nacional |
| 19 June 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Switzerland | v | Romania | TBD, Switzerland |
| 20:45 UTC+2 | Report | Stadium: TBD |
| 9 September 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Kosovo | v | Switzerland | Prishtina, Kosovo |
| 20:45 UTC+2 | Report | Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium |
| 12 September 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Switzerland | v | Andorra | TBD, Switzerland |
| 20:45 UTC+2 | Report | Stadium: TBD |
| 12 October 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Israel | v | Switzerland | TBD, Israel |
| 21:45 UTC+3 | Report | Stadium: TBD |
| 15 October 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Switzerland | v | Belarus | TBD, Switzerland |
| 18:00 UTC+2 | Report | Stadium: TBD |
| 18 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Switzerland | v | Kosovo | TBD, Switzerland |
| 20:45 UTC+1 | Report | Stadium: TBD |
| 21 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Romania | v | Switzerland | Bucharest, Romania |
| 21:45 UTC+2 | Report | Stadium: Stadionul Steaua |
Coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Murat Yakin |
| Assistant Coaches | |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Patrick Foletti |
| Fitness Coach | Oliver Riedwyl |
| Team Doctor | Ludwig Scholzer |
| Physiotherapist | Marcel Müllenberger |
| Match Analyst | Kevin Ehmes |
| Masseur | Wolfgang Frei |
| Nutritionist | Gregor Klotzmann |
| Team Chef | Arsène Baumann |
| Team Coordinator | Diego Benaglio |
Coaching history
| Nat | Name | Record | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | G | W | D | L | % | Major competitions | ||
| François Dégerine | 1908 – 1909 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.33 | ||
| Referee's Commission | 1910 – 1924 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||
| Jimmy Hogan | 1924 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 66.67 | ||
| Selection's Commission | 14 December 1924 – 25 March 1934 14 October 1934 – 17 May 1937 18 September 1938 – 1 January 1941 15 October 1950 – 20 September 1952 | 45 | 9 | 8 | 28 | 20.00 | ||
| Heinrich Müller | 1934 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00 | 1934 World Cup – Quarter-finals | |
| Karl Rappan | 19 September 1937 – 12 June 1938 1 February 1942 – 2 October 1949 1 July 1953 – 30 June 1954 27 March 1960 – 11 November 1963 | 36 | 10 | 5 | 21 | 27.78 | 1938 World Cup – Quarter-finals 1954 World Cup – Quarter-finals 1962 World Cup – Group stage 1964 European Championship – Failed to qualify | |
| Franco Andreoli | 19 March 1950 – 22 November 1950 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 33.33 | 1950 World Cup – Group stage | |
| Hans Rüegsegger | 19 September 1954 – 10 October 1954 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | ||
| Jacques Spagnoli | 1 May 1955 – 26 May 1958 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 12.50 | 1958 World Cup – Failed to qualify | |
| Willibald Hahn | 20 September 1958 – 25 October 1959 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | ||
| Jiří Sobotka | 15 April 1964 – 10 May 1964 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.33 | ||
| Alfredo Foni | 1 July 1964 – 5 January 1967 1 October 1967 – 23 December 1967 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 21.05 | 1966 World Cup – Group stage 1968 European Championship – Failed to qualify | |
| Erwin Ballabio | 14 February 1968 – 3 November 1969 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 29.41 | 1970 World Cup – Failed to qualify | |
| René Hüssy | 22 April 1970 – 3 May 1970 22 June 1973 – 8 September 1976 | 26 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 23.08 | 1976 European Championship – Failed to qualify | |
| Louis Maurer | 1 July 1970 – 30 June 1972 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 50.00 | 1972 European Championship – Failed to qualify | |
| Bruno Michaud | 26 April 1972 – 9 May 1973 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 14.29 | 1974 World Cup – Failed to qualify | |
| Miroslav Blažević | 22 September 1976 – 9 October 1976 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | ||
| Roger Vonlanthen | 28 February 1977 – 28 March 1979 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 26.67 | 1978 World Cup – Failed to qualify 1980 European Championship – Failed to qualify | |
| Léon Walker | 5 May 1979 – 21 December 1980 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 25.00 | ||
| Paul Wolfisberg | 1 January 1981 – 31 December 1985 20 June 1989 – 22 June 1989 | 51 | 17 | 20 | 14 | 33.33 | 1982 World Cup – Failed to qualify 1984 European Championship – Failed to qualify 1986 World Cup – Failed to qualify | |
| Daniel Jeandupeux | 12 March 1986 – 26 April 1989 | 28 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 28.57 | 1988 European Championship – Failed to qualify 1990 World Cup – Failed to qualify | |
| Uli Stielike | 1 July 1989 – 31 December 1991 | 25 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 52.00 | 1992 European Championship – Failed to qualify | |
| Roy Hodgson | 1 July 1992 – 30 November 1995 | 41 | 21 | 10 | 10 | 51.22 | 1994 World Cup – Round of 16 | |
| Artur Jorge | 13 March 1996 – 18 June 1996 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 14.29 | 1996 European Championship – Group stage | |
| Rolf Fringer | 15 August 1996 – 14 October 1997 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 45.45 | 1998 World Cup – Failed to qualify | |
| Gilbert Gress | 1 July 1998 – 31 December 1999 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 33.33 | 2000 European Championship – Failed to qualify | |
| Hans-Peter Zaugg | 19 February 2000 – 26 April 2000 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 25.00 | ||
| Enzo Trossero | 14 July 2000 – 8 June 2001 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 27.27 | 2002 World Cup – Failed to qualify | |
| Jakob "Köbi" Kuhn | 11 September 2001 – 30 June 2008 | 73 | 32 | 18 | 23 | 43.84 | 2004 European Championship – Group stage 2006 World Cup – Round of 16 2008 European Championship – Group stage | |
| Ottmar Hitzfeld | 1 July 2008 – 1 July 2014 | 61 | 30 | 18 | 13 | 49.18 | 2010 World Cup – Group stage 2012 European Championship – Failed to qualify 2014 World Cup – Round of 16 | |
| Vladimir Petković | 1 August 2014 – 27 July 2021 | 77 | 40 | 18 | 19 | 51.95 | 2016 European Championship – Round of 16 2018 World Cup – Round of 16 2020 European Championship – Quarter-finals | |
| Murat Yakin | 9 August 2021 – present | 20 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 45.00 | 2022 World Cup – Round of 16 | |
Players
Current squad
The following 26-man squad was named for the 2022 FIFA World Cup on 9 November 2022.[118]
Caps and goals updated as of 6 December 2022, after the match against Portugal.[119][120]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Yann Sommer (3rd captain) | 17 December 1988 | 80 | 0 | Borussia Mönchengladbach |
| 12 | GK | Jonas Omlin | 10 January 1994 | 4 | 0 | Montpellier |
| 21 | GK | Gregor Kobel | 6 December 1997 | 4 | 0 | Borussia Dortmund |
| 24 | GK | Philipp Köhn | 2 April 1998 | 0 | 0 | Red Bull Salzburg |
| 3 | DF | Silvan Widmer | 5 March 1993 | 37 | 2 | Mainz 05 |
| 4 | DF | Nico Elvedi | 30 September 1996 | 43 | 1 | Borussia Mönchengladbach |
| 5 | DF | Manuel Akanji | 19 July 1995 | 47 | 2 | Manchester City |
| 13 | DF | Ricardo Rodriguez | 25 August 1992 | 104 | 9 | Torino |
| 18 | DF | Eray Cömert | 4 February 1998 | 12 | 0 | Valencia |
| 22 | DF | Fabian Schär | 20 December 1991 | 75 | 8 | Newcastle United |
| 2 | MF | Edimilson Fernandes | 15 April 1996 | 25 | 2 | Mainz 05 |
| 6 | MF | Denis Zakaria | 20 November 1996 | 45 | 3 | Chelsea |
| 8 | MF | Remo Freuler (4th captain) | 15 April 1992 | 53 | 6 | Nottingham Forest |
| 10 | MF | Granit Xhaka (captain) | 27 September 1992 | 111 | 12 | Arsenal |
| 11 | MF | Renato Steffen | 3 November 1991 | 29 | 1 | Lugano |
| 14 | MF | Michel Aebischer | 6 January 1997 | 13 | 0 | Bologna |
| 15 | MF | Djibril Sow | 6 February 1997 | 36 | 0 | Eintracht Frankfurt |
| 20 | MF | Fabian Frei | 8 January 1989 | 24 | 3 | Basel |
| 23 | MF | Xherdan Shaqiri (vice-captain) | 10 October 1991 | 112 | 27 | Chicago Fire |
| 25 | MF | Fabian Rieder | 16 February 2002 | 2 | 0 | Young Boys |
| 26 | MF | Ardon Jashari | 30 July 2002 | 2 | 0 | Luzern |
| 7 | FW | Breel Embolo | 14 February 1997 | 63 | 13 | Monaco |
| 9 | FW | Haris Seferovic | 22 February 1992 | 92 | 25 | Galatasaray |
| 16 | FW | Christian Fassnacht | 11 November 1993 | 17 | 4 | Young Boys |
| 17 | FW | Ruben Vargas | 5 August 1998 | 31 | 4 | FC Augsburg |
| 19 | FW | Noah Okafor | 24 May 2000 | 12 | 2 | Red Bull Salzburg |
Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up for the team in the last twelve months and are still available for a call up.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Yvon Mvogo | 6 June 1994 | 4 | 0 | Lorient | v. Czech Republic, 27 September 2022 |
| GK | David von Ballmoos | 30 December 1994 | 0 | 0 | Young Boys | v. Czech Republic, 27 September 2022 |
| DF | Kevin Mbabu | 19 April 1995 | 22 | 0 | Fulham | v. Czech Republic, 27 September 2022 |
| DF | Jordan Lotomba | 29 September 1998 | 7 | 1 | Nice | v. Portugal, 12 June 2022 |
| DF | Leonidas Stergiou | 3 March 2000 | 1 | 0 | St. Gallen | v. Portugal, 12 June 2022 |
| MF | Steven Zuber | 17 August 1991 | 51 | 10 | AEK Athens | v. Portugal, 12 June 2022INJ |
| MF | Mattia Bottani | 24 May 1991 | 1 | 0 | Lugano | v. Portugal, 12 June 2022 INJ |
| FW | Cedric Itten | 27 December 1996 | 7 | 4 | Young Boys | v. Czech Republic, 27 September 2022 |
| FW | Zeki Amdouni | 4 December 2000 | 1 | 0 | Basel | v. Czech Republic, 27 September 2022 |
| FW | Dan Ndoye | 25 October 2000 | 1 | 0 | Basel | v. Czech Republic, 27 September 2022 |
| FW | Andi Zeqiri | 22 June 1999 | 7 | 0 | Basel | v. Kosovo, 29 March 2022 |
COV Player withdrew from the squad due to testing positive for COVID-19. | ||||||
Player records
- As of 6 December 2022 [121]
- Players in bold are still active with Switzerland.
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|
Competitive record
Switzerland has yet to win a major international trophy, and the best result they have achieved thus far is the quarter-finals of the World Cup on three occasions, in 1934, 1938 and 1954, also reaching the same stage at Euro 2020. They earned a silver medal at the 1924 Olympic Games, held in Paris, where they lost 3–0 to Uruguay in the final.[122] The Swiss youth teams have been more successful; as the U-17 squad won the 2002 UEFA U-17 Euro and the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, while the U-21 squad qualified for the semi-finals of the 2002 UEFA U-21 Euro, and were finalists of the 2011 UEFA U-21 Euro.[123][124][125][126]
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 | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
| 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 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||
| Total | Quarter-finals | 12/22 | 41 | 14 | 8 | 19 | 55 | 73 | — | 140 | 68 | 37 | 35 | 220 | 150 | ||
- *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 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 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||
| Total | Quarter-finals | 5/16 | 18 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 16 | 24 | — | 100 | 44 | 24 | 32 | 172 | 122 | ||
- *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 | GP | 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 | 4th | 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 | To be determined | 2025 | To be determined | |||||||||||||||||
| 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 | — | ||
Head-to-head record
- As of 12 June 2022
Positive Record Neutral Record Negative Record
| Opponents | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 |
| Algeria | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 |
| Andorra | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 |
| Argentina | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 15 | −12 |
| Australia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Austria | 42 | 12 | 5 | 25 | 60 | 105 | −45 |
| Azerbaijan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | +4 |
| Belarus | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 |
| Belgium | 30 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 45 | 57 | −12 |
| Bolivia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 |
| Brazil | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 11 | −2 |
| Bulgaria | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 13 | +9 |
| Cameroon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Canada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 |
| Chile | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| China | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 |
| Colombia | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | −3 |
| Costa Rica | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 |
| Croatia | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 |
| Cyprus | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 5 | +11 |
| Czech Republic[a] | 32 | 8 | 6 | 18 | 43 | 66 | −23 |
| Denmark | 12 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 14 | 17 | −3 |
| East Germany | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 13 | −10 |
| Ecuador | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| Egypt | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 |
| England | 31 | 3 | 6 | 22 | 24 | 83 | −59 |
| Estonia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | +14 |
| Faroe Islands | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2 | +17 |
| Finland | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 7 | +3 |
| France | 39 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 63 | 70 | −7 |
| Georgia | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 |
| Germany[b] | 53 | 9 | 8 | 36 | 69 | 142 | −73 |
| Gibraltar | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | +9 |
| Greece | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 20 | 12 | +8 |
| Honduras | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 |
| Hungary | 46 | 11 | 5 | 30 | 66 | 131 | −65 |
| Iceland | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 6 | +11 |
| Israel | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 7 | +2 |
| Italy | 61 | 8 | 24 | 29 | 68 | 111 | −43 |
| Ivory Coast | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 |
| Jamaica | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 |
| Japan | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 |
| Kenya | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kosovo | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Latvia | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | +6 |
| Liechtenstein | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | +27 |
| Lithuania | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | +19 |
| Luxembourg | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 9 | +21 |
| Malta | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 3 | +14 |
| Mexico | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 |
| Moldova | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 |
| Montenegro | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| Morocco | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 |
| Netherlands | 33 | 15 | 3 | 15 | 61 | 68 | −7 |
| Nigeria | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 |
| Northern Ireland | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | +2 |
| Norway | 19 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 20 | 26 | −6 |
| Oman | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 |
| Panama | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 |
| Peru | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| Poland | 11 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 21 | −9 |
| Portugal | 25 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 34 | 34 | 0 |
| Qatar | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 |
| Republic of Ireland[c] | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 19 | −6 |
| Romania | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 20 | 16 | +4 |
| Russia[d] | 12 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 29 | −18 |