Switzerland advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1938 after defeating Algeria on Thursday, July 3, 2026.
The victory also marked a historic milestone for midfielder Granit Xhaka, who earned his 150th international cap. Teammate Ricardo Rodríguez made his 142nd appearance.
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“It is a privilege to have worn this shirt for the 150th time,” Xhaka said, as reported by vi.
nl.
The veteran midfielder expressed deep gratitude to his home country before discussing the team's future prospects.
“This country, where I was born and raised, has given so much to my family. Hopefully this was not my last match,” he added.
Xhaka revealed he had rallied the squad before kickoff to ensure the milestone coincided with a historic tournament progression.
“My wish was to make this day even more special by qualifying for the next round. We did that,” he said.
Regarding the long-standing knockout stage drought, Xhaka admitted he was unaware of it before the match ended.
“I honestly didn't know that. I'm not into statistics.
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We take it match by match and know what we are capable of and where we still need to improve.
In five days we have to be ready again,” he stated.
Switzerland will face either Colombia or Ghana in the round of 16.
Fans back home woke up early to watch the broadcast, a gesture that did not go unnoticed.
“That is not something you take for granted: getting up at five o'clock to watch us.
That's why we wanted to give something back to the supporters in Switzerland today.
We are incredibly grateful for all the support, and we feel it within the group. We have talked about it among ourselves.
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We want to do everything to make the supporters happy,” Xhaka concluded.
