Rieder and Switzerland close to qualifying – play-offs for two others
Dahmen must wait until Monday
First Team
17.11.2025, 11:00
While the Switzerland national team and Fabian Rieder are almost definitely qualified for the 2026 World Cup, the same cannot be said for Elvis Rexhbecaj and Samuel Essende, who both potentially have play-off fixtures to come.
Switzerland are in quite a comfortable position in their qualifying group as we head into the final matchday. A 4-1 win over Sweden puts them three points clear in first place with a +11 goal difference over second-place side Kosovo, who got three more points on the board with a 2-0 win over Slovenia. The top two sides face off on the final matchday, with the expectation being that Switzerland will win the group, and Kosovo will head to the play-offs.
Fabian Rieder started the game against Sweden and played 70 minutes before coming off for Djibril Sow. Elvis Rexhbecaj also started in Kosovo’s game and played 65 minutes before being substituted. The two FCA teammates will face each other as opponents on Tuesday (20:45 CET) in Pristina.
Essende into play-off tournament
There’s still hope for DR Congo as they look to reach their first World Cup finals since 1974. Samuel Essende’s side beat Nigeria 4-3 on penalties (1-1 a.e.t.), however FCA’s striker remained an unused substitute. That win means DR Congo have qualified for the inter-continental World Cup play-off tournament to be played out in Mexico in March of next year. The participants will include one side from Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America, and two teams from North America.
Finn Dahmen and Germany also seem to have one foot in the door when it comes to World Cup qualification. Just a draw in the final game against Slovakia on Monday (20:45 CET) would be enough to secure Germany’s ticket for next year’s tournament.
