Today's Talking Points
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1Switzerland are one of the most consistent sides at major tournaments without ever quite becoming a household name. They've made the quarter-finals three times in ten years and usually go out to eventually-strong opposition. Quietly impressive.
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2They beat France in the 2020 Euros round of 16. They knocked out Portugal in the 2022 World Cup. Both of those are enormous results. People keep underestimating Switzerland and it keeps backfiring. Mention this and you'll sound like someone who pays attention.
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3Granit Xhaka is their captain and is having the best football of his career at 32. The Arsenal midfielder took years to find the right role, finally found it, and is now running international midfields. Something of a redemption arc.
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4Switzerland are in Group B with Canada, Bosnia and Qatar — one of the more straightforward groups on paper. Topping it is a reasonable expectation, and getting through gives them a path into the knockouts where they're always dangerous.
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5Switzerland's squad is notably multicultural — players with Albanian, Kosovan, Portuguese and Spanish heritage — reflecting modern Swiss society. They play with a cohesion that clearly comes from something beyond just being in the same squad.
🍺 Top Thing To Say Down The Pub
Switzerland knocked out France at the Euros and Portugal at the World Cup in the same year. They are the team everyone underestimates, every time, without learning.
🚫 Avoid Saying
"Switzerland are boring" — efficient is not the same as boring. They've knocked out two of the world's best teams in knockout football. Boring teams don't do that.