Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka has called on fans to “keep dreaming” as he prepares to lead his team against defending champions Argentina in the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday. The midfielder emphasized that Switzerland’s “overarching aim” is to defeat Lionel Messi’s side and reach the semifinals for the first time in the nation’s history.
Xhaka's Message to Fans
“Regarding the fans, keep dreaming. I am a person who always dreams and dreams can come true,” Xhaka told reporters in Kansas City. “And if we want to fulfil our dreams, you need to work, you need to sweat, you need to give it 100 percent. And sometimes you need to do something new. You really need to push your limits if you want to beat Argentina.”
Tactical Approach Against Messi
Switzerland coach Murat Yakin said he has “many solutions” to stop Messi, who is the tournament’s joint-leading scorer with eight goals. “Tomorrow, on the pitch, we will perform as a unit,” Yakin stated. “We will try to play passes, press high against Argentina, who are the reigning champions. Obviously, we will try to do the work on the pitch. We can talk a lot, but in the end, it has to really translate on the pitch. And we do have our solutions.”
Xhaka acknowledged the difficulty of containing Messi for the entire match but stressed the need for smart defending. “I don’t know if we can stop him over 90 minutes,” he said. “It is going to be difficult. However, we have to be very smart. We’ll have to be compact, close the gaps, not give him too many spaces. We will try, obviously, to play in position. When we have the ball, he won’t be able to act as much.”
Team News
Yakin confirmed that midfielder Johan Manzambi, who impressed during the group stage, will miss the quarter-final due to an injury from which he has failed to recover.
