Qatar and Switzerland Begin World Cup 2026 Campaign

Qatar and Switzerland will play against each other on Saturday night at 00:45 (Nepali time) to start their World Cup 2026 campaign. Both teams will face each other for the first time in a competitive match in Santa Clara. They are in Group 'B' along with Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina. 

'The Maroons' Against Strong Opponent

Qatar has qualified for the final stage of the World Cup for the second time after participating for the first time as the host nation in 2022. In 2022, the team was eliminated from the group stage. 'The Maroons' secured their place in this year's World Cup by defeating UAE 2-1 last October. Since then, the team has played six matches but has not managed to win any. They were defeated 1-0 by Irish Republic in a friendly match at the end of May. 

Julen Lopetegui's team then drew 1-1 with El Salvador in their final pre-World Cup friendly on June 6. Therefore, their preparation does not seem satisfactory. However, they are starting the World Cup 2026 against strong Switzerland.

Group 'B' is considered relatively easy, with Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina in it. If they can secure a win in the first match, Qatar will have a strong chance of reaching the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time. This time, teams finishing in the best third place can also advance to the next stage. 

Qatar has only played Switzerland once before, and they won that match. Qatar defeated Switzerland 1-0 in a friendly match held in 2018. 

Interestingly, Switzerland was eliminated from the 2006 World Cup without conceding a single goal. At that time, they drew goalless with France, beat Togo and South Korea 2-0, and drew goalless with Ukraine in the Round of 16. However, they were eliminated from the competition after a 3-0 loss in a penalty shootout.   

Switzerland, the Powerhouse of Group 'B'

The European dark horse (Switzerland) is a regular participant in the World Cup. This will be their 13th World Cup appearance. The team has reached the Round of 16 in the last three World Cups, so it would be surprising to be eliminated in the group stage. 

Switzerland's best performance in World Cup history came in 1934, 1938, and 1954. At that time, the team reached the quarterfinals. Since 2010, the team has not been eliminated from the group stage. For this reason, the current team is also under pressure to perform even better. 

Murat Yakin's team drew 1-1 with Australia in their final pre-World Cup friendly. Before that, they defeated Jordan 4-1 at the end of May. The 'A-Team' has lost only one match in their last 14 matches across all competitions. They lost 4-3 to Germany in a friendly match at the end of March. 

Therefore, Switzerland is entering the World Cup in excellent form. And, they will aim to secure a win against Qatar before their remaining two group matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Canada. 

Recent Performance 

Qatar has lost four of their last six matches, drawing two. Switzerland has won two, drawn three, and lost one of their last six matches. 

Who is in Qatar's Team? 

Akram Afif, Yusuf Abdurisag, and Edmilson Junior have become Qatar's first-choice forwards for this competition. Therefore, this attacking line is expected to start in this match as well.

Afif has scored 39 goals for the national team and will be primarily responsible for scoring for Qatar in this World Cup. Edmilson is still searching for his first goal for the national team. Mahmoud Abu Nada may take charge of the goalpost, while Pedro Miguel and Boualem Khoukhi are likely to play the role of main defenders. 

On the Switzerland side

Coach Yakin still has some important decisions to make, especially in the attacking area. Many players in his team are competing for starting positions. Breel Embolo has scored 24 goals for the national team. He is a good option for the center-forward position. Zeki Amdouni of Burnley is expected to be in the forward line. 

Switzerland's squad will include experienced players like Manuel Akanji, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Granit Xhaka, while Remo Freuler is likely to play in midfield. 

Probable Starting Lineup

Qatar: Abunada, Al-Oei, Khoukhi, Pedro Miguel, Ahmed; Laye, Fathi, Gaber; Abdurisag, Afif, Edmilson
Switzerland: Kobel, Widmer, Akanji, Elvedi, Rodriguez, Xhaka, Freuler, Vargas, Rieder, Ndoye, Amdouni