Switzerland National Team World Cup Betting
Although Switzerland is not one of the first several countries you think of when considering the best football playing nations in the world, the Swiss have had some strong results in recent years. The Red Crosses have made the knockout rounds in three of the last four World Cups, and they were in the quarterfinals of the 2020 European Championships last year. However, the Swiss are getting older, so this might be their last hurrah for quite some time.
Manager: Murat Yakin
Nicknames: A-Team, Red Crosses, Nati
Confederation: UEFA (Europe)
FIFA Ranking: 14 (March 2022)
Switzerland World Cup Betting Odds
To Win Group G: +475
To Win 2022 World Cup: +8000
*Odds as of May 4, 2022
Switzerland Group Stage Schedule
Switzerland vs. Cameroon, Thursday, November 24, 2022, 5 a.m. ET, at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah (FS1)
Brazil vs. Switzerland, Monday, November 28, 2022, 11 a.m. ET, at Stadium 974 in Doha (FOX)
Serbia vs. Switzerland, Friday, December 2, 2022, 2 p.m. ET, at Stadium 974 in Doha (FS1)
History at the World Cup
Appearances: 12 (first in 1934)
Best Result: Quarter-finals (1934, 1938, 1954)
Switzerland did not enter the first World Cup, but the Swiss were able to qualify or the next two competitions on the continent. They bested the Netherlands 3-2 before losing to Czechoslovakia by the same score to be knocked out in the quarterfinals in 1934, and they did the world a favor by beating Germany in 1938 before falling to Hungary in the quarterfinals.
The Swiss hosted the 1954 World Cup, and it will likely forever hold the record as the highest scoring World Cup. There was an average of 5.4 goals per match, as the Magnificent Magyars blew out multiple opponents. Switzerland beat Italy twice in the Group Stage to make the knockout rounds before losing a barnburner to Austria in the quarterfinals. The two teams played the highest scoring match in World Cup history with Austria beating Switzerland 7-5. It was a rough loss for the Red Crosses as they took a 3-0 lead inside of 20 minutes only to allow five goals over the next 15 minutes.
That was the high point for Swiss football over the next several decades. Switzerland only qualified for the World Cup three times between 1954 and 2006. They finished in dead last at the World Cup in 1962 and 1966, and their best performance came in 1994 when the Swiss made the Round of 16.
It’s been much better for Switzerland since that point. The Swiss made the Round of 16 in 2006, 2014, and 2018. They fell to Ukraine in penalties (failing to convert a single one) in 2006, and they played a scoreless draw before losing in added time to Argentina in 2014. The Swiss drew Costa Rica and Brazil at the last World Cup, but they advanced to the knockout rounds thanks to a 90th minute goal by Xherdan Shaqiri against Serbia.
What to Watch
Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri are the leaders of this team. Xhaka is the captain of Switzerland, and he has 12 goals in 100 matches with the A-Team. He can be a bit reckless with his challenges though, so that’s something to watch.
Shaqiri’s best days are behind him, but he is the leading active goal scorer for Switzerland with 26 goals in 102 appearances. Haris Seferovic figures to have a bigger impact provided he stays healthy, as he has missed a ton of time with Benfica this season. Breel Embolo may be called upon often for the Swiss, as he is one of the few young forwards on the roster.
Yann Sommer will be the first-choice goalkeeper for Switzerland, but there are some real concerns in the back line outside of Fabian Schar and Ricardo Rodriguez. More inexperienced footballers like Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, Silvan Widmer, and Kevin Mbabu will have to play well for Switzerland, especially in a group with so much attacking talent.
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