Qatar vs Switzerland: Where to Watch the World Cup 2026 Group B Match
Switzerland open their World Cup against the 2022 hosts Qatar at Levi’s Stadium on June 13. Murat Yakin’s side, led by captain Granit Xhaka, start as heavy favourites in Group B. Qatar, two-time Asian champions, look to spring a surprise. Below: TV channels, kickoff times, squads, and the prediction.
Qatar
Asia · Group B
VS
3:00 PM
ET · Jun 13
Switzerland
Europe · Group B
⭐ The Big Story · Yakin Names His 26
Switzerland arrive as Group B favourites with a settled European core
Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin named a 26-man squad on May 20 built around captain Granit Xhaka, defender Manuel Akanji, and striker Breel Embolo. The Nati qualified by topping a group above Kosovo, Slovenia, and Sweden, sealing their place in Kosovo on November 18, 2025. Projection models give Switzerland around a 77 percent chance of beating Qatar, a reflection of the gap in pedigree between the European side and the 2022 hosts.
This is a meeting of two very different football stories. Switzerland are one of the most reliable sides in world football: this is their 13th World Cup appearance and sixth in a row, and they have reached the knockout stage in three of their last four tournaments. Under Murat Yakin they also made the quarterfinals of Euro 2024. Captain Granit Xhaka, now at Sunderland, sets the tempo from deep, while Breel Embolo, the Rennes striker who was their top scorer in Qatar 2022, leads the line.
For Qatar, this tournament is about proving the 2022 home World Cup was not a one-off. They have since won back-to-back AFC Asian Cups, in 2023 and 2024, establishing themselves as the dominant force in Asian football. Their talisman is Akram Afif, the Al Sadd winger who scored 14 goals in the Qatar Stars League this season and pulls the strings in attack. Qatar qualified for 2026 through the AFC playoffs, reaching their first World Cup that they did not host.
There is almost no history between the two nations. They have met only once, a friendly in November 2018 that Qatar won 1-0, so neither side has much recent form to draw on. What is clear is the contrast in approach: Switzerland bring a disciplined, tournament-tested defensive structure and Champions League regulars across the pitch, while Qatar rely on the cohesive spine that conquered Asia. For the Nati, three points here would lay the foundation for topping a winnable group that also contains co-hosts Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Quick Answer
Watch in 30 seconds
Qatar vs Switzerland kicks off at 3:00 PM ET (12:00 PM local PT) on Saturday, June 13, 2026. In the US, watch on Fox and Telemundo, free on Tubi. In Switzerland, free on SRF and RTS. In Qatar and the wider MENA region, on beIN Sports. In the UK, free on BBC iPlayer or ITVX.
Date
Sat, Jun 13
Kickoff
3:00 PM ET
Free Watch
Tubi · SRF
Qatar vs Switzerland Kickoff Time by Country
A 3 PM Eastern kickoff means a comfortable midday slot on the US West Coast and a primetime evening across Switzerland and the Gulf.
TV Channels by Country
Qatar
Switzerland
United States
United Kingdom
MENA Region
Germany
Players to Watch in the Group B Match
QATAR
Coach: Julen Lopetegui · Asian champions
Akram Afif
Winger · Al Sadd · 14 league goals, talisman
Almoez Ali
Striker · Al Duhail · Record national scorer
Hassan Al-Haydos
Midfielder · Al Sadd · Veteran leader
Boualem Khoukhi
Defender · Al Sadd · Backline anchor
Meshaal Barsham
Goalkeeper · Al Sadd · First choice
SWITZERLAND
Coach: Murat Yakin · Since 2021
Granit Xhaka (C)
Midfielder · Sunderland · Captain, tempo-setter
Breel Embolo
Striker · Rennes · Top scorer, 24 intl goals
Manuel Akanji
Centre back · Inter Milan · Defensive leader
Dan Ndoye
Winger · Nottingham Forest · Pace and goals
Denis Zakaria
Midfielder · Monaco · Ligue 1 captain, all-action
Match Preview & Prediction
Switzerland are clear favourites, and the reasons are obvious. Yakin can call on Champions League regulars across the pitch: Manuel Akanji at the back, Granit Xhaka and Denis Zakaria in midfield, and Breel Embolo with Dan Ndoye in attack. This is a side that reached the Euro 2024 quarterfinals and has made the World Cup knockout stage in three of its last four attempts. They are organised, hard to beat, and used to deep tournament runs. Topping Group B would set up a kinder knockout path.
Qatar are not here to make up the numbers. Back-to-back Asian Cup titles in 2023 and 2024 prove the spine that won at home in 2022 has not faded. Akram Afif is a genuine matchwinner who can beat a defender and finish, and Almoez Ali remains a clever penalty-box striker. Their challenge is the step up in level: the Qatar Stars League does not test players the way Europe’s top five leagues test the Swiss. Expect Qatar to sit deep, stay compact, and look for Afif on the counter.
Our prediction: Switzerland 2-0. The gap in quality and tournament experience should tell. Embolo and Ndoye carry the goal threat, and a clean sheet is well within reach against a Qatar side that will prioritise containment. Switzerland to win and under 3.5 goals look the sensible calls, with Embolo a strong anytime scorer pick.
Likely Winner
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Total Goals
Under 3.5
BTTS
No
Score
0 – 2
Levi's Stadium: The Bay Area Venue
WC Capacity
~68,500
Opened
2014
Home Club
49ers
WC Games
6
Levi’s Stadium, designated San Francisco Bay Area Stadium for the tournament, sits in Santa Clara, California, about 40 miles south of San Francisco. Opened in 2014 as the home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, it is one of the most technologically advanced stadiums in the United States, known for its sustainability features and excellent sightlines.
The venue hosts six World Cup matches across the group stage and into the knockout rounds. Its location in the heart of Silicon Valley makes it one of the more accessible West Coast venues, and the mild June weather in the Bay Area should suit a Switzerland side more accustomed to temperate conditions than to summer heat elsewhere in the tournament.
A First Competitive Meeting
Qatar and Switzerland have met only once before, a friendly back in 2018. This Group B fixture at Levi’s Stadium is their first ever competitive meeting.
1
🇶🇦 QAT Wins
0
Draws
0
🇨🇭 SUI Wins
🤝 The Only Previous Meeting
Qatar 1-0 Switzerland · International friendly · November 14, 2018
The two nations have crossed paths just once, in a low-key friendly in 2018 that Qatar won 1-0. Neither current squad bears much resemblance to those line-ups, so the result offers little guidance. For all practical purposes, this Group B clash is a clean slate and the first time the points have ever mattered between them.
Odds for the Group B Match
Switzerland are strong favourites. Value sits in Embolo anytime scorer, a Switzerland clean sheet, and a Swiss -1 handicap.
🇶🇦 Qatar
8.50
Draw
5.50
🇨🇭 Switzerland
1.36
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