Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka’s World Cup campaign was ended as Switzerland suffered a quarter-final defeat against Argentina.
Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka believes Switzerland’s reaction to their controversial World Cup quarter-final defeat against Lionel Messi’s Argentina has shown a ‘big mentality’ within his international team-mates.
Xhaka’s side battled through a group containing co-hosts Canada, Qatar and Bosnia before comfortably dispatching with Algeria in a round-of-32 clash. A penalty shoot-out was needed to see off Colombia in the last-16 and that set up a date with holders Argentina as the two sides battled for the right to face England in the semi-final on Wednesday night. It was Argentina that struck first as Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister put them in front with just ten minutes on the clock after the Swiss failed to deal with a corner-kick. Nottingham Forest’s Dan Ndoye got Xhaka’s side on level-terms midway through the second-half - but a controversial red card shown to Switzerland star Breel Embolo swung the tie in Argentina’s favour with just under 20 minutes remaining. The striker was shown a second yellow card for simulation following a challenge from Leandro Parades, who was initially cautioned before a VAR review saw that card overturned and the punishment reverted to Embolo.
Granit Xhakaplaceholder image
Granit Xhaka | Getty Images
Extra-time goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez eventually broke Switzerland’s resistance and sent Argentina into a last-four date with England - but Xhaka has given a positive assessment of his side’s performance and their reaction to the defeat.
Speaking after the defeat, the Black Cats captain said: “We had a good start, we conceded from the corner, but after that, my opinion, you saw just Switzerland. We had the ball, we didn’t create a lot in the first-half, they didn’t have anything else in the first-half, just the corner goal. The second-half was our game, we know that, step-by-step, we can take more risks. We took it, we scored, on the pitch we felt very good. I just said in German that we had more energy, more belief as well. Yeah, the red card changed everything. I think the red card changed our game plan that we had from the beginning that was very positive. If you have to lose because of the one decision from the referee, it’s painful but it was his decision and it was difficult to accept after the game because the dressing room was very quiet. We are disappointed and if you are disappointed after a game with this Argentina team, it shows a big mentality for this team.
‘The rules are the rules’
Referee Joao Pinheiro shows a red card to Breel Embolo of Switzerland during the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final match between Argentina and Switzerland.placeholder image
Referee Joao Pinheiro shows a red card to Breel Embolo of Switzerland during the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final match between Argentina and Switzerland. | Getty Images.
Speaking about Embolo’s controversial red card, Xhaka added: “The rules are the rules - and we can’t change the rules. But it’s a decision where you kill the game, that is my opinion and I don’t know what else he can do but just don’t kill the game. I think that we were so good in that game. I will say that I believe, eleven against eleven, we will have them. But I will say it is very difficult now to find the right words after the game.”
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