Murat Yakin

Murat Yakin is the head coach of Switzerland at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Born in Basel on 15 September 1974 to Turkish parents, he came through his hometown club and became one of the steadiest defenders Swiss football has produced — two league titles with Grasshopper, three with Basel, and 49 caps for the national team between 1994 and 2004.

His managerial career has weaved through almost every level of Swiss football. After early work at Concordia Basel he led Thun and Luzern, then returned to Basel in October 2012 as head coach. Inside 18 months he won two Swiss Super League titles and reached the Europa League semi-finals — the high point of his club career. A turbulent year at Spartak Moscow and quieter spells at Grasshoppers, Schaffhausen and Sion followed.

The Swiss Football Association appointed him national team head coach on 9 August 2021, succeeding Vladimir Petković. He guided Switzerland to the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup, then to the same stage at Euro 2024 after a memorable group-stage win over Italy, and now to the 2026 World Cup. Switzerland are in Group B with Canada, Qatar and Bosnia-Herzegovina — a tournament where Yakin and a Granit Xhaka-led generation aim to push past their familiar Round of 16 ceiling.