Chaka: Dreams sometimes come true

Kansas City – AFP – Granit Xaka believes that his team, Switzerland, must surpass themselves when they face defending champions Argentina in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup early Sunday morning in Kansas City.

Speaking at a press conference, Xaka said, “I am someone who likes to dream, and dreams sometimes come true, but to achieve them, you must work, sweat, and push yourself to beat Argentina. I believe the team is ready to do that.”

He added that the match is not a foregone conclusion, noting, “They must also show us respect. We will be on the pitch tomorrow and will give everything we have.”

For his part, coach Murat Yakin said, “Argentina is very smart and enters matches with great enthusiasm, so we must stay focused, hold our ground, and score goals in regular time.”

The Swiss coach and his captain were forced to address early on the question everyone had been waiting for during the press conference: how to stop Lionel Messi?

Yakin joked in response, “That is a very surprising question. There are certainly several solutions, and we will find the right one collectively. We can talk a lot, but we must manage things on the pitch.”

As for Xaka, he said, “Stopping him for 90 minutes will be difficult. We will play in a compact shape to reduce space, and we will also try to keep possession and not allow him to touch the ball too often.”