Switzerland coach Murat Yakin has agreed to extend his contract, leading the team through qualifying for the 2026 World Cup following their impressive performance in reaching the European Championship quarterfinals.
The Swiss soccer federation announced on Friday that they will hold a news conference on Monday to provide details about the contract extensions for Yakin and assistant coach Giorgio Contini.
Yakin, who has been in charge of the Swiss team for three years, faced challenges during the Euro 2024 qualifiers amid reported tensions with the squad. He was also approached for a club coaching job in Saudi Arabia during this period.
Switzerland performed well at Euro 2024, remaining unbeaten until their elimination by England in a penalty shootout last Saturday.
Yakin’s team notably defeated defending champion Italy 2-0 in the round of 16 and drew 1-1 with both Germany and England, conceding late equalizers in both matches. Switzerland trailed for only 13 minutes across their five games, in a 1-1 draw with Scotland.
Since their heavy 6-1 defeat to Portugal in the 2022 World Cup round of 16, Switzerland has lost only one of their last 19 matches under Yakin.
Switzerland is expected to be among the top-seeded teams in one of the 12 European qualifying groups for the upcoming World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The draw for the qualifiers is scheduled for December.
The 12 group winners will directly advance to the World Cup in 2026, with an additional four teams qualifying through European playoff matches in March 2026.
