Granit Xhaka — Switzerland World Cup 2026 Squad

Career Highlights

Granit Xhaka started 34 of 34 Bundesliga matches in Bayer Leverkusen unbeaten 2023-24 title campaign — their first championship in 120 years. His 93.4 percent pass completion rate that season led the entire Bundesliga. He was named Swiss Footballer of the Year in 2023 for the third time. At Arsenal he made 297 appearances and scored the opening goal in the 2017 FA Cup final against Chelsea. His disciplinary record at Arsenal — five red cards across seven seasons — contrasted sharply with the control he displayed at Leverkusen, where he received none. Xhaka has 27 goals in 131 Switzerland caps, the most productive midfielder in national team history.

Club Career

Xhaka came through Basel academy and debuted at 17, winning two Swiss Super League titles before Borussia Monchengladbach signed him for €8.5 million in 2012. At Monchengladbach he became captain and led them to Champions League qualification in 2015. Arsenal paid €45 million in 2016, making him their third-most expensive signing at the time. He wore the armband under Mikel Arteta from 2019 but was stripped of it after confronting fans at the Emirates in October 2019. He reclaimed the captaincy and left on his own terms in 2023 for a reported €25 million. At Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso built the entire midfield around Xhaka carrying the ball from deep and recycling possession.

International Career & World Cup History

Xhaka debuted for Switzerland at 18 against England at Wembley in 2011 and has since accumulated 131 caps, third behind only Heinz Hermann and Stephan Lichtsteiner. He scored the equaliser against Poland in the Euro 2016 round of 16, though Switzerland lost on penalties. At the 2018 World Cup he scored a long-range strike against Serbia in a politically charged group-stage match. He started every match as Switzerland reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 in Germany, where they lost on penalties to England. He and his brother Taulant, who plays for Albania, remain the only siblings to represent different countries against each other at a European Championship.

World Cup 2026 Outlook

Xhaka is 33 and playing the best football of his career, which gives Murat Yakin the rare luxury of building a midfield around a player who makes everyone around him function better. The risk is physical: Xhaka has played over 50 matches in each of the last three seasons and tournament congestion may expose that workload. Switzerland strength lies in their organisation, and Xhaka is the organiser. If they are to match or surpass their quarter-final runs at recent tournaments, they need Xhaka to control tempo against sides that will try to press them high. His partnership with Remo Freuler has been Switzerland midfield backbone for a decade — breaking it would require an extraordinary opponent.