How Many World Cups Has Switzerland Won?
The World Cup is an international soccer tournament that takes place every four years to determine the world’s best national soccer team. Switzerland has been to numerous World Cups since the tournament was first held in 1930. The men’s team has been in the tournament 12 times, while the women’s team has been to the tournament just once. In fact, when the women’s team qualified for the World Cup, it was the first time the men’s and women’s teams accomplished that feat in the same cycle. However, Switzerland has never won a World Cup on either the men’s or women’s side.
Switzerland’s Men’s Team
The Switzerland Men’s National Team has participated in twelve FIFA World Cup tournaments but has yet to be the last team standing. The first appearance Switzerland had in the World Cup came in 1934, where the team finished in the quarterfinals after a loss to Czechoslovakia 3-2. Switzerland took down the Netherlands in the Round of 16 in that World Cup. The Swiss National Team would go on to make the World Cup in 1938, 1950, and 1954. In fact, the 1954 FIFA World Cup was held in Switzerland. The Swiss reached the quarterfinals in 1938 and 1954 but did not make it past the group stage in 1950. Following the 1966 World Cup, Switzerland would not qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the next 28 years.
It was not until 1994 that Switzerland found itself back in the World Cup and made it past the group stage. This year, Switzerland ran into a daunting opponent in the Round of 16, facing Spain and getting shut out 3-0. Switzerland would qualify for the World Cup next in 2006, then in 2010, 2014, and 2018. However, the squad did not make it past the Round of 16. The furthest that Switzerland has gone in the World Cup has been the quarterfinals, but that was when there were significantly fewer teams in the tournament than there are now. Switzerland has made it out of the group stage in three of its last four World Cup appearances. The Swiss qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and are playing in a group with Brazil, Serbia, and Cameroon.
Switzerland’s Women’s Team
While the Switzerland Men’s National Team has made it to eleven World Cups in its history, the Switzerland Women’s National Team has only qualified for one. In 2015, Switzerland was in its first and only FIFA Women’s World Cup, but did not win the entire tournament. Switzerland was in a group with Japan, Cameroon, and Ecuador. Switzerland took down Ecuador with a commanding 10-1 victory in the first match of the group stage, where Ramona Bachmann put up a hat trick. The team then lost to Japan by a score of 1-0 and Cameroon 2-1. Switzerland finished third in the group but went on to the knockout rounds since it was a top-four third-place finisher. However, Switzerland would lose to Canada, the host of the 2015 FIFA World Cup, 1-0 in the Round of 16. Switzerland finished the 2015 World Cup with one victory, three losses, and a plus-six goal differential. The Swiss Women’s National Team did not qualify for the 2019 World Cup.