Canada and Switzerland, both target a win even if a draw is enough for the Knockout Stage in the World Cup 2026
The coaches of Canada and Switzerland are not interested in playing just for a draw, even though both will advance if they draw their final match in Group B of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The Group B clash of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is coming to an end, and the match between Canada and Switzerland is the talk of the town. They both have four points after two matches, and a draw would have been enough for them both to advance to the knockout stage. Because of this, the speculation started that the teams might just come to an agreement and not fight to win.
However, both Jesse Marsch (Canada's coach) and Murat Yakin (Switzerland's coach) denied that they would agree to play just for the draw. According to Marsch, playing without the intention of winning will make the result even more difficult. "The target should always be to win. We will enter this match with a clear goal and strategy to win," he said.
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://webp.vi.cdn.pxr.nl/news/2026/06/24/d8e80d062b7cc9049bf309cb6dfe147596bab57a.jpg?width=1200" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>Switzerland's Yakin agreed, admitting that it would still be nice to be the group champion. If they win here, their next match on July 2 will be delayed and they will only face one of the best third placers of the tournament. If they finish in second place, they will immediately face the runner-up of Group A—which is currently the Czech Republic or South Korea—on June 28. That means, except for a possible better opponent, the break for the group winner is even longer.
For defender Manuel Akanji of Switzerland, the length of the rest is not a big issue. "Of course I want to lead the group, but it's okay if it's just a little break," said Akanji.
At nine o'clock in the evening Wednesday (European time) Canada and Switzerland will fight to find out who will reign in Group B. At the same time, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Qatar, who both have one point each and hope to catch up to reach the knockout stage, will also play.
