Why winning the group wouldn’t be all good news for the Swiss national team

If Switzerland does indeed finish first in the group as hoped, fans back home will have to get up early. The round of 16 match against a third-place team is set to kick off at 5:00 a.m. Swiss time. A potential round of 16 match—for which, on paper, the Swiss would first have to defeat Portugal (the game would be at 10:00 p.m.)—would even take place in the middle of the night for fans at home. A possible quarterfinal matchup against Argentina would begin at 3:00 a.m.

If Switzerland tops its group, Vancouver would become their “home stadium.” Since the third group stage match against co-host Canada is already scheduled to be played there, the Round of 32 and Round of 16 matches would also take place in Vancouver. The team would then travel on to Kansas City and Atlanta.

The schedule if Switzerland finishes first in the group

If Switzerland finishes second in its group, the team will have to quickly prepare for its next challenge. The round of 32 match against the second-place team from Group A would take place just four days after the final group match. That would also be a logistical challenge. At least the kickoff times on this path would be significantly more “Europe-friendly.” The match would kick off at 9 p.m.

Even as the second-place team in the group, Switzerland would initially remain on the West Coast and play its round of 32 match in Los Angeles—where it will already be playing its second group match against Bosnia. After that, the team would travel to Houston, Boston, and Dallas.

Second Place in the Group

If Switzerland ends up in third place, the situation becomes complicated due to the new tournament format. Three scenarios are possible:

In the first scenario, the Swiss would have to make the long trip to the East Coast for the round of 32. A potential opponent in Boston—Germany—would be a tough challenge right at the start of the knockout stage.

In the second scenario, Switzerland would remain on the West Coast for its first knockout game and play in San Francisco. On paper, the opponent would also be considered somewhat weaker: it would be the winner of Group D, which includes co-host the U.S., Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey.

The third scenario would be the most bitter: As one of the four weakest third-place teams, Switzerland would have to head home after the group stage.

3rd Place – Scenario A

3rd Place – Scenario B

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