While the Swiss national football team is in the middle of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, things are going well for Murat Yakin's team: with two games to go, the Nati leads its group. The chances of a World Cup ticket are therefore looking good.

Between intensive training sessions and important qualifying matches against Sweden, Slovenia and Kosovo, there was still time for another topic that is naturally very popular at SWISS: travelling. As the airline partner of the Swiss national football team, SWISS accompanies the team on charter flights to its international matches. The conversation therefore took place – very down-to-earth – in SWISS Economy.

“This or That”: the travel preferences of the national team stars
Fabian Rieder, Cédric Itten and Marvin Keller, do you pack last minute or do you have your luggage ready well in advance? “I’m definitely a last-minute packer,” reveal Marvin and Fabian almost simultaneously. Cédric, on the other hand, admits to being an early packer, which earns him a few sceptical looks.

Even if packing in advance can be a bit chaotic, the SWISS plane to the games is usually calm. While Marvin and Fabian prefer to “chill out in peace”, Cédric admits with a laugh that he “likes to annoy his teammates a little bit from time to time”. But they all agree on the question of what to wear on a plane journey: jogging bottoms, of course.

There is also general agreement on flight time. All three prefer short-haul flights. They only like long flights if they are overnight: “At least then you can get some sleep,” says Cédric.

And what about celebrating on the plane after a victory? That depends on the occasion. Cédric prefers the diplomatic option: “Celebrate briefly and then recover.” Marvin opts for “generally celebrating” without hesitation, and Fabian chooses the golden middle ground.

 

“Who in the team...?” – the national team's dressing room whisperings
There is a lot of laughter in the second part of the conversation – especially when it comes to the quirks of their teammates.

Who falls asleep fastest on the plane? All three agree: goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, also known as “Gregi”. And the loudest on board? “There's no debate here, right?” laughs Marvin. “Breel!” all three shout in unison. They are, of course, referring to teammate Breel Embolo.

When asked who takes the longest at the security check, they have to think for a moment. Marvin says there's no specialist in that area. But Cédric adds with a smile: “Today, I'd say Sierro. He has two backpacks with electronic devices in them.”

And who would be the ideal seatmate on a twelve-hour flight? “Marvin,” says Fabian immediately. Marvin nods: “I'll gladly return the honour.” Cédric chooses Silvan Widmer. “He's easy-going,” he says, grinning at Silvan Widmer, who is sitting right next to him and following the interview with curiosity.

Things get exciting when the question of “nerds and class clowns” in the team comes up. Marvin immediately names Fabian as the nerd of the team. Fabian counters: “Listen up. There's only one real nerd here, and he's sitting right there.” He turns around in his seat and points to Vincent Sierro. Cédric nods and laughs: “Fabian is always well prepared, but Sierro is a real nerd.” And who would have thought it: everyone agrees instantly on the class clown: Breel, of course!

And who would make a good flight attendant? After a moment's thought, the three decide on Silvan Widmer and Remo Freuler. “Remo just has this friendly smile,” says Fabian. “The passengers would definitely like him,” adds Cédric.

The question of who they would trust with the cockpit in an emergency (purely hypothetical, of course) causes laughter. “Akanji would definitely be good,” says Marvin. Cédric nods in agreement. But Fabian has another favourite: “I'd go with Sierro.” And who would definitely not be suitable? Again, in unison: “Breel!”

Finally, there is a particularly charming question: if you could take something from a teammate's luggage, what would it be? Fabian doesn't have to think long: “From Granit (Xhaka), he always has such good perfumes with him.” Marvin laughs: “That was strong.” “Good call, right?” says Fabian. Cédric nods: “We'll take that one! We'll log Xhaka in.”

 

Travel habits & favourite destinations
Even professionals have their little rituals. An iPad, headphones and, according to Marvin, a good book are essential. “So much for the nerds,” Fabian jokes.

Jet lag tips? “You're asking the wrong people,” laughs Cédric. Marvin says: “Maybe just adjust your routines the day before and not on the day of travel.”

When it comes to their favourite in-flight meal, they quickly agree: “A delicious salad” for starters, preferably Greek. Salmon with rice and “something green” for the main course and a brownie for dessert. Fabian thinks for a moment and then says, “But tiramisu wouldn't be bad either!”, which makes all three of them laugh.

And where would they fly with the national team if SWISS could really fly anywhere?

“Tokyo would be cool for a World Cup,” says Marvin. “Brazil would also be nice,” says Cédric. Fabian dreams of an even more distant destination and would love to see a World Cup in Australia.

And what about a European Championship? “I think we really liked Scandinavia. I could well imagine Finland, Norway, Sweden or even Denmark,” says Fabian. “Well, you've practically listed everything,” laughs Marvin. But Fabian is just getting started and the ideas keep coming: “Or Albania and North Macedonia. It's really beautiful there in the summer. Although no, I think Greece would be even better. All right, I'll go with Greece.” Marvin sticks with Scandinavia and Cédric is “open to them both”.

However, all three immediately agree on their dream destination for a training camp: “Miami”.

 

 

Whether short-haul or long-haul, tracksuit bottoms or dress code, the main thing for the national team is to travel together. With humour, team spirit and a love of travel, Fabian, Cédric and Marvin show that they are a well-coordinated team even above the clouds.

This week, the Nati is preparing for its last two qualifying matches: Switzerland will face Sweden in Geneva on Saturday, 15 November, followed by an away match against Kosovo three days later. So there are still two decisive stages to go before the goal is achieved: a ticket to the 2026 World Cup. So if everything goes according to plan, in the summer of 2026 it will be “boarding completed” for the Nati – next stop: the world stage.

 

Partnership between SWISS and the Swiss Football Association
SWISS is associated with sport through a shared passion for top performance, team spirit and love of detail. SWISS is the ideal travel partner and is committed to Swiss sport.

The Swiss Football Association is one of the country’s most important sporting organisations. We support the Swiss national teams (men, women and juniors) with extensive contributions towards their air travel to games.