He replaces Yann Sommer Gregor Kobel is the new number 1 in the national team
What a sensation! blue Sport has learned exclusively: Gregor Kobel (26) will be the new number 1 in goal for the Swiss national team. It remains to be seen whether Yann Sommer (35) will continue or retire.
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- blue Sport has learned that Gregor Kobel will be the new number 1 in goal for the Swiss national team.
- Yann Sommer took over from Diego Benaglio after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and has since made 94 international appearances.
- It is still unclear whether Sommer will retire from the national team and concentrate on his club Inter Milan at the age of 35.
On September 5, the time has come: after the successful European Championship, where they reached the quarter-finals and were eliminated in a bitter penalty shoot-out against England, the national team will return to international matches. First away in Denmark, then on September 8 in Geneva against European champions Spain.
As blue Sport has learned, there will be a changing of the guard. Gregor Kobel (26), the Borussia Dortmund man, will be the new number 1 in goal for the national team. The coaching team led by Murat Yakin has decided to plan for the 2026 World Cup with the up-and-coming goalkeeper. Kobel reached the Champions League final against Real Madrid with BVB last season. With a market value of 40 million euros, he is one of the most expensive goalkeepers in the world.
Gregor Kobel replaces record goalkeeper Yann Sommer
After the successful European Championship, the national team coach announced talks with both goalkeepers. Yakin left it open at the time as to whether the changing of the guard was imminent, saying only: "The question is not who will be in goal in three days' time, but who will be in goal at the World Cup in two years' time."
There will now be a generation change in the Swiss national team goal. For the first time since 2014, the best Swiss national team goalkeeper of all time will not be the regular goalkeeper. Yann Sommer took over from Diego Benaglio after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and has since made 94 international appearances.
This makes him the Swiss national team's record goalkeeper. He was in goal at the 2016 European Championship in France, the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the 2021 Pan-European Championship, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the 2024 European Championship in Germany. Five major tournaments - what a record!
It is still unclear whether Sommer will retire from the national team and focus on his club Inter Milan at the age of 35. He became Italian champion with the Italians last season and will play in the Champions League from September.
