Even before the last Nations League game in Spain, it is clear that Switzerland will have to go down to League B. What's next for the national team with a view to the 2026 World Cup? The most important questions and answers.
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- Switzerland conclude their Nations League campaign on Monday evening with an away game against Spain.
- Relegation to League B has already been decided before the last game. Fortunately, the relegation has no impact on the group draw for the World Cup qualifiers: Switzerland remain in pot 1.
- The qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup start in March and the groups will be drawn on Friday, December 13.
Switzerland will end the international season on Monday evening with a clash against Spain. The national team is struggling with numerous absentees ahead of the visit to Tenerife - not even coach Murat Yakin is fit. As relegation to League B of the Nations League can no longer be averted anyway, the match against the European champions will be a test match with a view to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. When will the qualifiers start? And what does relegation mean for the draw?
What else is at stake against Spain?
On the one hand, honor. After a strong European Championship in the summer (quarter-final exit against England), the national team had a horrendous autumn. Only two points from five games in the Nations League are far too few - bad luck with referees and injuries or not. A good performance against the European champions could bring the year to a conciliatory end after all.
On the other hand, it is also a question of pushing ahead with the transition. New players can and must impose themselves on the team. The unpleasant situation with the many absences also gives young players a chance to draw attention to themselves. Yakin can test them once again, this time the result will be secondary.
What financial consequences does relegation have for the national team?
Although the starting fee in League B of the Nations League (1.5 million euros) is significantly lower than in League A (2.25 million), the chances of winning the group in the lower division are naturally higher. In the event of direct promotion, the SFV would receive a further 1.5 million euros. However, due to the less attractive opponents, the association is also threatened by a drop in ticket sales. Either way, the financial damage after relegation will be limited, at least in the short term.
What happens next in the Nations League?
In March 2025, the first and second-placed teams in League A will play the quarter-finals. The final round with the four winners will then follow in June. The promotion and relegation play-offs will also take place in March, with the third-placed team in each league facing the second-placed team in the league below.
The next Nations League season will then start after the 2026 World Cup, when Switzerland will be represented in League B for the first time and play against teams such as Slovenia, Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina and North Macedonia.
When will the World Cup qualifiers start?
Qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA will begin in March for the teams that have already been promoted or relegated from the Nations League - including Switzerland.
In which lottery pot is Switzerland in the qualifying draw?
When the European nations are drawn into twelve groups of four or five teams in Zurich on December 13, Switzerland will definitely be drawn from pot 1. The worst-case scenario of the national team falling out of the pot of the top nations can no longer happen.
Switzerland will therefore avoid the best teams in the World Cup qualifiers. Only the group winners will qualify directly for the 2026 finals, while the runners-up will get a second chance to qualify for the World Cup via a play-off tournament.