Granit Xhaka
Who is this
Son of Albanian refugees from Kosovo, born in Basel in September 1992. Product of Basel's academy, made his senior debut at 17. Older brother, Taulant Xhaka, plays for the Albania national team.
Club career
- 2010Basel — debut in Swiss Super League, national champion
- 2012Borussia Mönchengladbach — transfer to the Bundesliga
- 2016Arsenal — seven seasons in the Premier League, 2019 Europa League final
- 2023Bayer — 2024 Bundesliga champion, unbeaten league season
- 2025Sunderland — transfer to a club recently promoted back to the Premier League
For national team
Switzerland captain since autumn 2018. Played in World Cup 2014, World Cup 2018, World Cup 2022; by 2026 — national team record holder for appearances. The set-piece specialist: precise crosses and free-kick strikes are a recognizable part of his game.
Moment
June 22, 2018, World Cup in Kaliningrad. Switzerland vs Serbia. Djaka levels the score with a long-range strike; Shaqiri finishes in the closing minutes. Both celebrate with the "double eagle" gesture — a reference to the Albanian flag. FIFA fines both. In Switzerland — a meme, in Kosovo — newspaper front pages. The gesture and the match became part of national identity; he has worn the captain's armband since then.
Heading into World Cup 2026
Defensive midfielder in Yakin's system, a bridge between defense and attack. Age is the tournament's main risk; there is no direct successor of comparable quality in the squad.