The Swiss national team faces its first match point: with a win in Slovenia and support from Sweden, early qualification for the World Cup could be perfect as early as Monday.
13.10.2025, 16:00
SDA
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- The Swiss national team can seal qualification for the World Cup on Monday with a win in Slovenia and some help from Sweden.
- The aim is to avoid a déjà vu of the last European Championship qualifiers. Back then, the national team also started with three wins before a collapse followed.
- "It feels very, very good at the moment," says goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and makes it clear: "But what's important now is that we keep going and finish the job."
The European association is the only one not to have any participants in the 2026 World Cup. This could change on Monday. Together with France, Switzerland has the chance to snatch the first of the 16 places. To do so, coach Murat Yakin's team must pick up three points in the 16,000-capacity Stozice Stadium in Ljubljana, while Kosovo must not win in Sweden.
The prospect of securing a trip to North America after just two-thirds of the qualifying campaign is a source of cautious joy for the Swiss team. However, the players are trying to focus solely on the match against Slovenia. "If we continue to play like we have so far, I'm convinced that we can also get something in Slovenia," says captain Granit Xhaka. "The pressure is once again on our opponents."
Slovenia hoping for Sesko
The Swiss have traveled to the Slovenian capital with a broad chest: They won 2-0 in Sweden on Friday - with a bit of luck, but ultimately deservedly so. Slovenia, meanwhile, were held to a 0-0 draw in Pristina. Now coach Matjaz Kek is hoping above all that starting striker Benjamin Sesko will find his feet in the national team. While the 22-year-old has scored his first goals in the last two games for Manchester United, he has not scored in the national team for six matches.
A month ago, when Switzerland and Slovenia played against each other in Basel, Sesko, like his teammates, remained pale. Meanwhile, the Swiss celebrated an unchallenged 3:0 victory. Defender Nico Elvedi denied that they could be too confident because of this with an answer that he had to give: "A completely different game awaits us away from home. It won't be easy and certainly won't be a walkover."
Last qualification as a warning
The aim is to avoid a déjà vu of the last qualifier. Back then, when participation in Euro 2024 was at stake, the national team also started with three wins from three games. Even the goal difference was almost the same at 10:1 compared to the current 9:0. However, this was followed by an almost inexplicable slump: Switzerland only managed one win from the seven remaining games and ended up five points behind group winners Romania.
However, the two starting positions can only be compared to a limited extent. On the one hand, second place was enough for Switzerland to qualify directly, and on the other hand, there are fewer pitfalls due to the group size (four instead of six teams). In addition, momentum plays a greater role in this qualifying group, in which the matches are played within 74 days. And while the opponents are clearly still looking for the perfect mix, Switzerland's mechanisms have been in place right from the start.
Kobel sets the target
Nevertheless, in sport it is always the case that you only celebrate when the goal has been achieved. Because as good as the starting position looks now, it can change again very quickly. In the worst-case scenario for the Swiss - a defeat against Slovenia and a win by Kosovo - the table would look much more balanced on Monday: Switzerland 9, Kosovo 7, Slovenia 5, Sweden 1.
However, the Swiss are keen to avoid a possible deciding match in the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina, which is packed with hot-blooded fans. That's why goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, on behalf of the whole team, said: "At the moment it feels very, very good. But what's important now is that we keep going and finish the job."
