Our prediction for this World Cup 2026 match:
Switzerland
Match Time & Date:
5 September 2025
19:45
Prediction: 2-1
Kosovo
There will be fireworks when Switzerland and Kosovo lock horns at St. Jakob-Park in what promises to be an exciting Group B clash. The Rossocrociati aim to make a flying start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, but they will have to showcase their worth on the field. Cedric Itten is back to the squad, with the likes of Joel Monteiro, Simon Sohm, Ruben Vargas, and Denis Zakaria returning to contention as well.
As always, a man to watch in the home team will be new Sunderland signing Granit Xhaka. Kosovo, on the other hand, are on a five-game winning run in all competitions, but Switzerland should pose a much bigger threat for the visitors than their previous rivals. In their last meeting in a competitive match, Switzerland and Kosovo shared the spoils (1-1), but with aforementioned players returning to the squad, home win should be considered this time out. Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi is widely expected to lead the line for the visiting team.
Highlighted Player (Granit Xhaka):
Granit Xhaka is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most talented central midfielders at the moment and he is on the radar of quite a few high-profile sides. Just two seasons at FC Basel proved enough to attract interest from Borussia M’gladbach, who secured his signature in the summer of 2012.
The Switzerland international had a slow start to his career in Germany, causing many pundits to start doubting his credentials, but he eventually turn things around to show he is more than capable of playing at the highest level. Acting as a deep-lying playmaker, Xhaka impressed fans and pundits alike with his performances in Bundesliga and European competitions, and he even managed to score a couple of important goals in the process.
Despite his fragile age, the highly regarded footballer has been a key member of the Switzerland national team for quite some time now, scoring 6 goals in his first 40 caps to establish himself as a real leader of the Rossocrociati. The 2014 World Cup, where he scored one goal in four starts, should prove just the first of many major tournaments to come.
Highlighted Team (Kosovo):
Despite the fact that a number of countries have yet to recognize Kosovo, they have been participating in the World Cup qualifiers September 5, 2016. Kosovo did well to hold Finland to a 1-1 draw in their opener, but they were outclassed by Croatia (0-6) in their second group game.
Albert Bunjaki’s men have slim chances of qualifying for the showpiece tournament in Russia, but, no doubt, they will use qualifying matches to gain a much-needed experience. Kosovo recorded their biggest win over Monaco on April 22, 2006, but they were not a member of FIFA back then. The Kosovo national football team played their first ever international friendly against Haiti in March 2014 and the match ended in a goalless draw.
Kosovo footballers wear blue shirts and black shorts when playing at home, while they play in yellow shirts and yellow shorts when facing their rivals on the road. Albert Bunjaku, who played for the likes of Nurnberg and Kaiserslautern in the past, is the team’s most notable player.
Georgia 
Turkey
Bulgaria 
Spain
Liechtenstein
Belgium
Luxembourg 
Northern Ireland 
Netherlands 
Poland 
Slovakia 
Germany
