Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka will captain Switzerland at the World Cup 2026.
The veteran midfielder has a dizzying 144 caps to his name at the time of writing, and remains a hugely influential member of Yakin’s squad, marshalling the centre of the park and skippering his side.
But at the age of 33, questions have been asked over how much longer Xhaka can be expected to balance his international commitments with his ongoing duties on Wearside. To that end, however, his head coach has no worries whatsoever.
What did Switzerland boss Murat Yakin say about Granit Xhaka?
Speaking in an interview with continental outlet Blue Win, Yakin was asked whether he believed the World Cup could represent something of a “last dance” for the Black Cats favourite, to which he emphatically replied: “No, absolutely not.
“I can’t imagine that. As long as he’s in this kind of health, he’ll play as long as possible. I also know that he’ll be moving on after the World Cup. I’m happy about that. He always has to be fit and physically at his peak.”
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Turning his attention to Switzerland’s overall aspirations for the upcoming tournament in North America, Yakin continued: "Ultimately, we have to get through the group stage as well as possible so that we can then face opponents in the play-offs who didn't finish in first place. We want to play the best World Championship ever. And we have the potential and the quality in the team."
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