Qualifying for a fourth World Cup on the trot, Switzerland is becoming a more respected footballing nation with each game. The core of the team is made up of players from their 2009 U17 World Cup winning team and their 2011 European U21 team that was edged to a European title by Spain. 25-year-old Granit Xhaka starred on both of these teams and is now the battery of the senior squad. Going into his second World Cup the midfielder has made the Arsenal midfield his own starting all but one of the Gunners Premier League fixtures. His partner in crime will be Xherdan Shaqiri, the trickster recently faced relegation with Stoke City and will be looking to impress new suitors in Russia. Shaqiri has already won everything in the club game as a youngster with Bayern Munich and the World Cup is just the platform he needs to show that he is ready to return to that level of football. Ricardo Rodríguez rejected to host of European clubs to be part of an Ac Milan rebuilding project and is a key player on both ends of the field for the Swiss. Rodriguez is also a first-class set piece taker which could be important in such a tight group. Captain of the squad is Stephan Lichtsteiner, the seven-time Italian Champion recently switch clubs to join up with Xhaka at Arsenal.  A veteran of two previous World Cups Lichsteiner will look to lead by example on the pitch.  Looking to learn from the 100 cap man will be some of the most sort after youngsters in world football. Denis Zakaria at 21 has picked up where Xhaka left off in the Gladbach midfield. Schalke's Breel Embolo has had his injury concerns but the starlet has a lot of potential to be unleashed. Manuel Akanji has easily adjusted to life in Germany with Dortmund and has a great chance to start for Switzerland despite his young age. If not Akanji, Nico Elvedi is more than ready to contribute. This Bundesliga quartet along with the rest of the squad is in great form losing just once in their last 17 fixtures. 

 

 

 

Head Coach: Vladimir Petković

 

Population: 8 million 

 

Appearances: 10

 

Best: Quarter-finals (1934,1938, 1954)

 

How they Qualified: Switzerland was near perfect in World Cup qualifying. They won every single one of their group games until they met Ronaldo and Portugal. A 2-0 defeat against the Portuguese meant second place and the playoffs. A 1-0 victory over the two-legged play-off over a resilient Northern Ireland was enough to formalize World Cup qualification.

 

Star Players: Stephan Lichtsteiner(Juventus), Granit Xhaka(Arsenal), Xherdan Shaqiri(Stoke), Ricardo Rodríguez(AC Milan), Manuel Akanji(Dortmund)

 

Wildcard: - Haris Seferovic- If there is one weakness for this Swiss team its upfront.  The player most trusted in that role is Seferovic. A key part of that U17 World Championship team, the striker struggled at Benfica this season. Seferovic started the season well scoring in his first 3 games but only managed to score once more for the rest of the year. If he captures his early season goal scoring it can make the Swiss even more difficult to beat.

 

Legend: Stephane Chapuisat