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The stage may be set for the World Cup, but not all the tickets have been punched. Six coveted spots remain, with countries like Italy and Bolivia battling for their place in the world’s most prestigious soccer tournament.
For Raphael Wicky, Sporting Kansas City’s new head coach, that battle is nothing new. He knows exactly what it’s like to fight for a spot on soccer’s grandest stage — because he’s been there.
“It’s the biggest tournament in soccer, in fútball. When you’re a boy, you grow up watching those,” Wicky said. “My first one was World Cup ’86 in Mexico, where Diego Maradona was my star, my hero. And then suddenly, later, you’re actually in this tournament.”
From the pitch to the history books
Before taking charge at Sporting KC, Wicky wore red and white for his home country, Switzerland, in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
It was a tournament that cemented the Swiss squad’s place in history: the only team ever eliminated from a World Cup without conceding a single goal.
“To be honest, during the tournament, we weren’t really thinking about that much,” Wicky said. “We were solid, not conceding any goals. But it’s not like we were telling each other, ‘We need to keep doing this so we don’t concede.’ It was just our way of playing together.
"We had really good team chemistry, and, at the time, everyone was working for each other. I think that’s always a strong foundation. But on the other side, it was very tough because we actually went out of the tournament without conceding a goal, which is very, very difficult.”
FULL COVERAGE | FIFA World Cup 26
Even before kickoff in Germany, Switzerland faced one of the toughest roads to qualification — a heated playoff against Turkey.
Switzerland’s 2–0 win in the first leg, followed by two crucial away goals in a 4–2 loss, was enough to send them through. But the celebrations quickly soured.
The atmosphere was electric, and emotions were running high during the decisive match. But, as Wicky recalled, the real trouble began after the final whistle.
“I mean, during the game, it was heated, but I was used to that, so it wasn’t a big problem,” Wicky said. “The stadium had an amazing atmosphere, but it was very heated. It was after the final whistle where I think the fight started between players and fans, and whoever was involved. That wasn’t nice, but I don’t think it makes sense to go back 20 years and recall that.
“Yes, we were getting punched by people, even by players, and a few guys on our Swiss team actually got injured in the scuffle. Those things were not nice. It’s not something you want to see in a football game, or any sports game.”
For Wicky, the real victory was learning how to keep his emotions level, no matter the stakes.
“It’s very important to keep your emotions in the right place," he said. "Play with passion, play with emotion, but keep them controlled."
Looking forward to FIFA World Cup 26 in Kansas City
Now, with Kansas City preparing to host six matches for FIFA World Cup 26, Wicky believes the energy will be unmatched.
“The atmosphere will be special. I think everyone can really look forward to it,” he said.
Wicky is also excited that Argentina’s national team will train at Sporting’s facilities, calling it a win for the city and the sport.
As European playoffs kick off later this week, the final lineup of 48 World Cup teams will be set by the start of April.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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