Switzerland are right on course in the World Cup qualifiers and could theoretically secure their ticket as early as Monday. The Nati players are in a correspondingly good mood in the final training session. Only one thing worries the Nati.
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- After three wins in the World Cup qualifiers, the Swiss national team is on the verge of securing its place at the 2026 World Cup.
- The atmosphere and team spirit within the squad are excellent, combined with a high level of concentration and enjoyment of the game.
- The only fly in the ointment is the poor condition of the Stožice stadium pitch, which raises concerns ahead of Monday's match against Slovenia.
Three games, three wins, 9:0 goals - the Swiss national team is going like clockwork in the World Cup qualifiers. Another win in Slovenia on Monday evening will secure their participation in the World Cup, provided Kosovo do not win in Sweden at the same time.
The starting position could not be better, and the mood in the team is correspondingly good. There is a lot of laughter and jokes at the final training session on Sunday. "We harmonize really well - on and off the pitch. We all get on really well," says Ruben Vargas the day before the match in Ljubljana. "It's just fun."
Murat Yakin has also emphasized several times in recent days how good the atmosphere is around the national team. Everyone is pulling together, there is no bickering. Nevertheless, concentration is also extremely high. "The boys know what's at stake. You can feel it every second on the pitch and in the hotel," says the national team coach. "The joy of playing is huge, but so is the seriousness."
There is a great deal of mutual trust. "We are very ambitious and have a good starting position. Things are going well, but we also need a bit of luck. We lacked that last year in the Nations League. But you also have to force luck and earn success," said Yakin.
Catastrophic pitch
So is everything ready for the national team's next success? Almost. The condition of the pitch in the Stožice stadium is likely to cause Yakin some concern. It is full of holes and anything but fit for the World Cup. So bad, in fact, that the two teams were not allowed to train in the stadium on Sunday and had to move to the stadium's adjacent pitches.
