Better kickoff times, an easier path
That’s why it wouldn’t be a bad thing if the Swiss national team missed out on winning the group
Swiss national team fans are hoping for a soccer festival in North America.
Keystone
After a rough start against Qatar, the Swiss national team is already under pressure against Bosnia if they want to win the group. However, many fans probably wouldn’t be too upset if Switzerland only finishes second.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Following the opening match against Qatar (1-1), Switzerland will face Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada in Group B at the 2026 World Cup.
- The Swiss national team is still considered the favorite to win the group. But winning the group wouldn’t just bring advantages. Second place would be more comfortable, especially for fans in Switzerland.
- 48 teams are competing in this massive World Cup; in addition to the group winners and runners-up, the eight best third-place teams will also advance. This creates many possible scenarios.
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“I’m someone who dreams big and believes that anything is possible,” Granit Xhaka said two weeks ago in an interview with blue Sport. The Swiss national team captain’s goal is clear: He wants to reach the World Cup final! That likely hasn’t changed even after the 1-1 draw against Qatar.
Dreaming is allowed. So Nati fans can look at the tournament bracket with a clear conscience. But does Switzerland really have the best chance of pulling off a major upset if it finishes first in its group? And when would the kickoff time be most convenient for the fans? We take a look at the possible scenarios and show what the path to the final would look like if the Swiss national team finishes first, second, or third in the group.
A look at the different scenarios:
Switzerland finishes first in the group
Switzerland’s path to the final
- Round of 32
Date, time, and location: Friday, July 3 | 5:00 a.m. |Vancouver
Opponent: One of the best third-place finishers from Groups E, F, G, I, or J (Germany, Ivory Coast, Curaçao, Ecuador, Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia, Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand, France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq, Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan – click here for the group overview) - Round of16
Date, time, and location: Tuesday, July 7 | 10:00 p.m. | Vancouver
Likely opponent: Portugal
QuarterfinalsDate, time, and location: Sunday, July 12 | 3:00 a.m. | Kansas City
Likely opponent: Argentina- Semifinal
Date, time, and location: Wednesday, July 15 | 9:00 p.m. | Atlanta
Possible opponents: Brazil, England, among others - Final
Date, time, and location: Sunday, July 19 | 9:00 p.m. | New Jersey
Potential opponents: including France, Spain, Germany
Pros: The logistical effort for the Swiss national team would be minimal. If they advance to the Round of 16, Switzerland would play three consecutive matches in Vancouver (including the final group stage match). Additionally, Switzerland would have seven days to recover between the final group stage match and the Round of 16.
Cons: If Switzerland finishes first in its group, Nati fans will have to get up early on July 3 for the round of 16. The game kicks off at 5 a.m. that Friday. It would be even more grueling in the quarterfinals. Then Switzerland would play in the middle of the night from July 11 to 12 (3:00 a.m.). To even get that far, they’d need a win in the Round of 16—and there’s a looming matchup with Portugal, who beat Switzerland 6-1 four years ago.
Switzerland finishes second in the group
Switzerland’s path to the final
- Roundof 32
Date, time, and location: Sunday, June 28 | 9:00 p.m. | Los Angeles
Potential opponents: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic - Round of 16
Date, time, and location: Saturday, July 4 | 7:00 PM | Houston
Likely opponent: Netherlands - Quarterfinals
Date, time, and location: July 9 | 10:00 p.m. | Boston
Potential opponents: France, Germany, among others - Semifinal
Date, time, and location: July14 | 9:00 p.m. | Dallas
Potential opponents: including Spain, Belgium, Croatia - Final
Date, time, and location: Sunday, July 19 | 9:00 p.m. | New Jersey
Potential opponents: Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, England, among others
Pros: On paper, the path to the quarterfinals seems easier than if they win their group. Plus, Swiss fans wouldn’t have to get up in the middle of the night—the latest kickoff time would be 10:00 p.m. in the quarterfinals.
Cons: There are only three days between the final group stage match and the round of 16. As a result, the Swiss national team would have to fly across half the country several times—from Los Angeles to Houston, then to Boston, to Dallas, and back to the East Coast to New Jersey.
Switzerland finishes third in the group
Switzerland’s path to the final<br><em>(the eight best third-place teams advance)</em>
- Roundof 32
Option 1:
Date, time, and location: Monday, June 29 | 10:30 p.m. | Boston
Likely opponent: Germany
Option 2:
Date, time, and location: Thursday, July 2 | 2:00 a.m. | San Francisco
Possible opponents: Turkey, USA, among others - Round of16
Option 1:
Date, time, and location: July 4 | 11:00 PM | Philadelphia
Likely opponent: France
Option 2:
Date, time, and location: July 7 | 2:00 AM | Seattle
Likely opponent: Belgium - Quarterfinal
Option 1:
Date, time, and location: July 9 | 10:00 PM | Boston
Likely opponent: Netherlands
Option 2:
Date, time, and location: July 10 | 9:00 PM | Los Angeles
Likely opponent: Spain - Semifinal
Options 1 & 2:
Date, time, and location: July 14 | 9:00 PM | Dallas
Potential opponents: Spain, Belgium, Croatia, among others - Final:
Option 1 & 2:
Date, time, and location: Sunday, July 19 | 9:00 p.m. | New Jersey
Potential opponents: including Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, England
Pros: If Switzerland finishes third in its group and takes the “Option 2” path, the chances of advancing to the quarterfinals would actually be good, because the Swiss national team would avoid the major opponents until then.
Cons: However, the kickoff times in the Round of 32 and Round of 16 couldn’t be worse (under Option 2): twice at 2 a.m. on weekdays. Under Option 1, the kickoff times would be slightly better, but the opponents would likely be significantly stronger.
