Granit Xhaka has been named in the Switzerland squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, marking his fourth consecutive appearance in the tournament. The event will take place this summer across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Experienced Squad Selection

Xhaka, who serves as the captain of the Swiss national team, holds the record for the most caps with 144 appearances. He is one of four players from the Premier League included in the squad, alongside Dan Ndoye from Nottingham Forest, Noah Okafor of Leeds United, and Zeki Amdouni from Burnley. Amdouni, who has recently returned from a long-term knee injury, has made only three substitute appearances this season. Manager Murat Yakin expressed confidence in Amdouni's fitness and understanding of the team's system, stating, "Medically, he is 100% fit. He knows our system. He knows his role. That's the reason why I'm very glad he can be part of it."

Squad Composition and Preparation

The 26-man squad selected by Yakin features a wealth of experience, with 17 players who participated in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Notable inclusions are Ricardo Rodriguez, who will also be competing in his fourth World Cup, and Christian Fassnacht, who was the top scorer in the Swiss Super League this season with 18 goals. However, Alvyn Sanches and Joel Monteiro were surprisingly left out after being part of the squad for recent friendlies.

Switzerland's preparations for the tournament will kick off on Monday, with friendly matches scheduled against Jordan on May 31 in St. Gallen and Australia on June 6 in San Diego. The team will commence their World Cup campaign with a Group B match against Qatar on June 13, followed by games against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Canada.

Switzerland World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers: Marvin Keller (Young Boys), Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund), Yvon Mvogo (Lorient).

Defenders: Manuel Akanji (Inter Milan), Aurele Amenda (Eintracht Frankfurt), Eray Comert (Valencia), Nico Elvedi (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Luca Jaquez (VfB Stuttgart), Miro Muheim (Hamburg), Ricardo Rodriguez (Real Betis), Silvan Widmer (Mainz).

Midfielders: Michel Aebischer (Pisa), Christian Fassnacht (Young Boys), Remo Freuler (Bologna), Ardon Jashari (AC Milan), Johan Manzambi (Freiburg), Fabian Rieder (Augsburg), Djibril Sow, Ruben Vargas (both Sevilla), Granit Xhaka (Sunderland), Denis Zakaria (Monaco).

Forwards: Zeki Amdouni (Burnley), Breel Embolo (Stade Rennais), Cedric Itten (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Dan Ndoye (Nottingham Forest), Noah Okafor (Leeds United).