The Switzerland team that eliminated world champions France from the European Cup last year, led by midfielder Granit Xhaka - who is finally thriving at Arsenal - is hoping to achieve another surprise and go further in the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

“Yes, the national team wants to be world champion,” Dominique Blanc, president of the Swiss Football Association, boldly asserted last fall, following his country's fifth consecutive World Cup qualification.

You don't have to go back in time to see this small mountain country - a lover of skiing and hockey at least as much as football - falter at every major tournament for not being able to win a knockout match since 1938.

#QNA_Video#WorldCupQatar2022#Switzerland National Football Team Eyes Unprecedented World Cup Achievement.

#Qatar2022#QNA_Sports pic.twitter.com/ib9j8xGAin

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) November 6, 2022

But in the Romanian capital Bucharest - on the evening of June 29, 2021 - "La Nati" violated all expectations, and won a knockout match for the first time in a major tournament since the 1938 World Cup, not only by excluding the world champions in the final price round (for the euro), but because they did so After they were two goals down 15 minutes before the end of the match, before they tied 3-3 and imposed two extra games, and later decided it by penalty kicks.

Although they were eliminated in the quarter-finals, they embarrassed Spain - the two-time European champion and the 2010 world - after they managed to drag the match (1-1) to penalties (3-1) thanks to their in-form goalkeeper Jan Sommer, the epic hero against France as well. .

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Adel Amroush, Al Kass Channel Analyst, talks about the coach of the #Switzerland national team and the expected line-up for the team expected in the #WorldCup #Qatar 2022 pic.twitter.com/u1KsfQBwDK

- Alkass Channels (@alkasschannel) October 10, 2022

Switzerland and a more difficult task

But if Switzerland is to achieve any surprise, it must make a better start than in the continental championship, when it qualified among the best third-place teams after winning, drawing and losing.

In the World Cup, only the group’s champion and runner-up qualify for the final price, and Switzerland must be ready for the three confrontations against Cameroon (this month), Brazil (this month), and Serbia (December 2), to play the second round against one of the two The first two places from Group H (Uruguay, Portugal, South Korea and Ghana).

After the Euro, Murat Yakin succeeded his compatriot Vladimir Petkovic at the helm of the technical staff, a coach who relies on direct play more than his predecessor.

The team has gained confidence in the solidity of its group that qualified for Qatar thanks to 8 unbeaten matches in the qualifiers, despite several injuries in its ranks, and topped its group against Italy, who was absent from the World Cup for the second time in a row.

After a disastrous start in the European Nations League - following three successive defeats against Spain, Czech Republic and Portugal - the Swiss team managed to overcome them all in the second leg matches.

🎉 Happy Birthday 🎊


​​Switzerland's star 🇨🇭 Xherdan Shaqiri @XS_11official turns 29


🎂 3⃣ FIFA World Cup entries


🏆 9 ⃣ matches🏟 4 ⃣


goals ⚽


3⃣ Man of the Match award 🏅 pic.twitter.com/LW4hEFb2Eb

— FIFA World Cup 🏆 (@fifaworldcup_ar) October 10, 2020

Sumer's ankle

The players of the national team also shine in their clubs, starting with captain Granit Xhaka in Arsenal (4 goals and 3 assists this season), through defender Manuel Akanji, and striker Brill Empolo, who risked leaving the Bundesliga months before the World Cup, but they adapted and shone quickly with Manchester City, and French Monaco.

But like many other teams, the squad that heads to Qatar has been plagued by injuries.

The most worrying of them - inevitably - is the sprain of the left ankle that goalkeeper Sommer suffered on October 18 with Borussia Monchengladbach, especially since the second goalkeeper, Jonas Umlin (French Montpellier), was injured in his ankle on the 23rd of the same month, before Akanji was exposed. For an injury to the left thigh on the 29th of the same month.

In addition, there are 3 players whose fate is awaited: central defender Nico Elvedi, who injured his knee in early September, the extent of the injury of young winger Ruben Vargas of Augsburg, Germany, and the level of Jordan Shaqiri, who moved this season to the American Chicago Fire, who is currently training. In Lugano during a layover in the United States.

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Rabie Al-Afwi, Al-Kas Channel Analyst, talks about the development of the #Switzerland #World_Cup #Qatar 2022 pic.twitter.com/zW2s5RQxtR

- Alkass Channels (@alkasschannel) October 10, 2022