Switzerland’s path towards the next FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil runs through Malta, with the Swiss arriving with growing momentum and ambitious plans for the development of their women’s game.
Currently ranked 25th in the world, Switzerland are still riding the wave generated by hosting last year’s UEFA Women’s European Championship, a tournament that the Swiss Football Association hopes will have a lasting impact on the sport domestically.
On the pitch, Switzerland achieved their best-ever performance in the competition by reaching the quarter-finals. Off the pitch, the expectation was that the tournament would spark growth at club level similar to the boom experienced in England following the 2022 European Championship.
While those levels have not yet been matched, Switzerland has still experienced a notable surge in interest.
According to figures released by the Swiss Football Association, the Women’s Super League has registered a 62% increase in attendances during the 2025/2026 season, with average crowds rising to 787 spectators per match.
Interest in the national team has also grown. At their first home match following Euro 2025, Switzerland defeated Canada 1-0 in Lucerne thanks to a goal from Alayah Pilgrim. The fixture attracted a crowd of 10,025, Switzerland’s second-highest attendance outside of the European Championship itself.
By comparison, Malta’s highest recorded attendance last year was 1,205 spectators at the National Stadium when a goal by Haley Bugeja secured Malta’s promotion back to League B.
For midfielder Geraldine Reuteler (Eintracht Frankfurt), who has spent many years with the national team, the progress in the women’s game in Switzerland is clear.
“There has been a lot of progress, especially after the European Championships that we hosted. The popularity has been growing a lot,” she said.
“I have been with this national team for many years and everything is improving. Hopefully we continue on this path.”
Switzerland’s national team is also entering a new phase on the technical bench.
During the European Championship, the team was led by experienced coach Pia Sundhage, who previously managed both the United States and Sweden. The Swiss federation has since opted for a new direction, appointing 39-year-old Rafel Navarro as head coach.
Navarro arrives after six years as assistant coach at Barcelona Femení and brings with him a modern, attacking philosophy.
“I think we have a good team with very strong players,” Navarro said.
“Our goal is to be at the next World Cup. It is our main objective and we know we can achieve it. We are working hard to improve our level and our target is to get better game after game.”
In their opening qualifier, Navarro deployed an offensive 4-3-3 system, reflecting his footballing principles built around high pressing, short passing combinations and dominance in the attacking third.
Switzerland opened their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland, with one of the goals coming from a corner kick – highlighting the growing importance the team places on set-pieces. Much of that work is overseen by assistant coach Julia Simic, the former Germany international and ex-Milan midfielder.
“I think we played a very good match,” Navarro said when reflecting on that victory.
“We dominated the game, played a lot in their half and created many chances. Of course we always want to score more goals and we must improve in the final third to be more clinical.”
For the upcoming match, Switzerland will be without central defender Julia Stierli, who suffered a concussion. Otherwise, Navarro will have most of his key players available, including captain Lia Wälti, Juventus defender Viola Calligaris and Barcelona youngster Sydney Schertenleib.
Despite Switzerland entering the fixture as favourites, Navarro insisted his team will approach Malta with caution.
“We have watched many videos. Malta is a team that likes to keep the ball and build from the back with short passes,” he said.
“They can also play direct and they have good attacking players, so we must be careful, especially with second balls.”
The Swiss coach also acknowledged the importance of goal difference in the qualification group.
“Scoring goals is important because goal difference can help, but the performance is just as important because that makes the results more sustainable.”
Switzerland have faced Malta twice in competitive matches during the 2015 World Cup qualifying campaign, winning both encounters. The two sides have also met in friendly matches, where Malta managed to hold the Swiss to two draws.
