Top Goal Scorers For Switzerland Football Team All-Time: Swiss soccer is doing really well right now. They’ve been qualifying for big tournaments like the Euros and the World Cup, which shows that their players are getting better. Switzerland’s best players are getting older and some of them are leaving the team, but they’ve already done great things.
Switzerland has been in almost every European and World Championship, except for the 2012 European Championships. They had good runs in the 2006 World Cup and 2008 European Championship with Köbi Kuhn as coach, the 2010 and 2014 World Cups with Ottmar Hitzfeld, and the 2016 European Championship, 2018 World Cup, and 2020 European Championship with Vladimir Petković. They also played in the 2022 World Cup with Murat Yakin as coach.
Lots of players have played for the Swiss national team since their first game in 1905. Only a few of them have made a really big impact.
Top Goal Scorers For Switzerland Football Team All-Time
Now, we’ll look at the top goal scorers for the Swiss national team, but most of them have retired. Out of the top ten, only two are still playing today.
1. Alexander Frei
- Career Span: 2001–2011
- Matches: 84
- Goals: 42
- Average: 0.5
Alexander Frei was a top striker for the Swiss national team. He played 84 games and scored 42 goals between 2001 and 2011, making him the all-time leading goal scorer for Switzerland. However, his time with the national team had its ups and downs.
In the 2004 European Championships, Frei was banned for spitting on Steven Gerrard. He also had bad luck in other big tournaments – he had to miss the opening game of the 2008 European Championships due to injury, and just before the 2010 World Cup, he injured his foot in training, causing him to miss the historic 1-0 win against Spain.
One of his best moments was during the 2006 World Cup. He scored two crucial goals against Togo and South Korea, helping Switzerland reach the round of 16. However, he wasn’t on the pitch when Switzerland was eliminated by Ukraine because the coach had replaced him a few minutes before the final decision. Despite the challenges, Frei’s goal-scoring ability made a significant impact on Swiss soccer.
2. Kubilay Türkyilmaz
- Career Span: 1988–2001
- Matches: 64
- Goals: 34
- Average: 0.53
Kubilay Türkyılmaz, also known as “Kubi,” has played 64 matches for the Swiss national team and scored 34 goals, making him the second-highest goal scorer for Switzerland.
Türkyılmaz started his international career in February 1988 with a match against France, which Switzerland lost 1-2. Throughout his career, he played for various clubs including AC Bellinzona, US Semine, Servette FC, FC Bologna, Galatasaray Istanbul, Grasshopper Club Zurich, FC Locarno, FC Luzern, Brescia Calcio, and FC Lugano. He competed in the Champions League with Galatasaray and Grasshopper Club Zurich and won the championship title with GC.
One of his notable moments was during the 1996 European Championships, where he scored a penalty goal with his hand, securing a 1-1 draw against hosts England. This goal was Switzerland’s only score in the tournament. Türkyılmaz played his last international match on September 5, 2001, against Luxembourg, where he scored two goals. Today, he works as a columnist for Blick.
3. Max Abegglen
- Career Span: 1922–1937
- Matches: 68
- Goals: 34
- Average: 0.5
Max Abegglen is the third-highest goal scorer for the Swiss national team. He was a standout player in Europe during the 1920s and 1930s, known for his excellent running skills. Abegglen scored a total of 32 goals for the national team, placing him behind Alexander Frei, and Kubilay Türkyilmazwho. His younger brother, André “Trello” Abegglen, was also a successful Swiss national player.
Abegglen played for the Swiss national team from November 1922 to May 1937, scoring three goals in his debut match against the Netherlands in 1922.
His most significant achievement came at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, where Switzerland won the silver medal in the football tournament. Abegglen played a crucial role, scoring six goals during the tournament, making him the top Swiss goal scorer at the Olympic Games.
4. André Abegglen
- Career Span: 1927–1943
- Matches: 52
- Goals: 29
- Average: 0.56
André Abegglen is the fourth-highest goal scorer for the Swiss national team. He played for the team between November 6, 1927, and June 14, 1943. During his international career, he participated in 52 games and scored 29 goals, making him one of Switzerland’s all-time top goal-scorers.
Abegglen was part of the Swiss national team during the 1934 and 1938 FIFA World Cups. In the 1934 World Cup, he scored a goal for Switzerland in the round of 16. In the 1938 World Cup, he played a key role in knocking out (Greater Germany) from the tournament almost single-handedly. He scored Switzerland’s only goal in the initial match to draw 1-1 and then scored two winning goals in the replay, securing a 4-2 victory.
This achievement allowed Switzerland to reach the quarter-finals, although they were eventually defeated 2-0 by Hungary.
5. Jacques Fatton
- Career Span: 1946–1955
- Matches: 53
- Goals: 28
- Average: 0.53
Jacques “Jacky” Fatton is the fifth-highest goal scorer for the Swiss national football team. He was born on December 19, 1925, in Exincourt, France, and passed away on July 26, 2011, in Geneva. Fatton made 53 appearances for the Swiss national team between 1946 and 1955, scoring 29 goals.
He started playing for the national team at the young age of 20. His first match was on May 11, 1946, against England, where Switzerland lost 4-1 in London. Fatton’s last international match was on June 19, 1955, in Geneva against Spain. During the 1950 and 1954 World Cups, he represented Switzerland. In the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, he gained international attention by scoring both goals in a 2-2 draw against the host country, Brazil, in Sao Paulo. He continued to impress in matches against Yugoslavia and Mexico.
Fatton also performed exceptionally well in the National League in Switzerland, scoring 32 goals in the 1949/50 season. During the 1954 World Cup held in Switzerland, he played in all four of Switzerland’s matches, including the legendary “heat battle” against Austria at the Stade de la Pontaise in Lausanne. Despite Switzerland’s 3-0 lead after 19 minutes, they lost 5-7. Jacques Fatton was highly regarded by coach Karl Rappan, who described him as the best-left winger Switzerland had ever seen.
6. Xherdan Shaqiri
- Career Span: 2010–present
- Matches: 116
- Goals: 28
- Average: 0.24
Xherdan Shaqiri is the sixth-highest goal scorer for the Swiss national football team. He was born on October 10, 1991, in Gnjilane, SFR Yugoslavia (now in Kosovo). Shaqiri is a talented midfielder who has been playing for the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer since February 2022.
He made his debut for the senior national team on March 3, 2010, in a friendly match against the Uruguayan national team, where Switzerland lost 3-1. Shaqiri’s first international goal came on September 7, 2010, in a European Championship qualification match against England, which Switzerland lost 3-1. He showcased his skills in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, scoring a hat-trick against Honduras in the group stage. He was also a key player in the 2016 European Championships, providing an assist for the winning goal in the opening game and scoring a crucial goal against Poland in the round of 16. Despite his efforts, Switzerland was eliminated from the tournament after a penalty shootout.
Shaqiri continued to shine in the 2018 World Cup, scoring the winning goal against Serbia in the group stage. He was also included in the Swiss national team squad for the 2021 European Championships, demonstrating his consistent performance and contribution to the team’s success.
7. Adrian Knup
- Career Span: 1989–1996
- Matches: 49
- Goals: 26
- Average: 0.53
Adrian Knup was born on July 2, 1968, in Liestal. He played 49 matches for the Swiss national team and scored 26 goals. He is especially well-remembered for his performance at the World Cup finals in the USA in 1994.
During that tournament, he scored twice in Switzerland’s 4-1 victory against Romania in the preliminary round, leaving a lasting impression on Swiss football fans.
8. Haris Seferovic
- Career Span: 2013–present
- Matches: 93
- Goals: 25
- Average: 0.27
Haris Seferović currently plays as a striker for Benfica Lisbon and the Swiss national team. During the 2009 U-17 World Cup, he scored the winning goal in the final against Nigeria with a header. Despite scoring five goals in the tournament, he ranked fourth due to playing time. In 2013, he scored a goal for Switzerland in a World Cup qualifying match against Cyprus, securing a 1-0 victory. Seferović also scored in the 2014 World Cup game against Ecuador, ending in a 2-1 win for Switzerland.
He played in the 2016 European Football Championship for Switzerland. In the first game against Albania, he was in the starting lineup. In the second match against Romania, he missed several chances to score and was substituted. Switzerland lost in the round of 16 against Poland in a penalty shootout.
Seferović was part of Switzerland’s squad in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The team reached the round of 16 but was eliminated.
He was also included in Switzerland’s squad for the 2021 European Championships.
9. Josef Hügi
- Career Span: 1951–1961
- Matches: 34
- Goals: 22
- Average: 0.65
Josef Hügi, also known as “Seppe” or was born on January 23, 1930, in Basel. He played for the Swiss national team from 1951 to 1961, making 34 appearances and scoring 22 goals.
One of his significant moments was during the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland. In a group game against Italy, he scored the winning goal in the 78th minute, helping Switzerland secure a 2-1 victory. He also scored twice in a crucial 4-1 win against Italy in the same tournament. In the quarter-final match against Austria, he scored three goals, although Switzerland lost 5-7. Hügi’s six goals in three games during the World Cup placed him second in the top scorers list for that tournament, tied with Max Morlock and Erich Probst, behind Hungarian player Sándor Kocsis (11 goals).
In a World Cup qualifier against Spain in 1957, Hügi scored two goals in a 2-2 draw. He set his goal record for the national team in a 6-2 victory against France, who finished third in the 1958 World Cup, scoring five goals in a single match, including a flawless hat trick.
Hügi also played a role in Switzerland’s qualification for the 1962 World Cup in Chile. However, he retired from the national team after his 34th appearance in a game against Sweden on May 28, 1961, in Stockholm.
10. Charles Antenen
- Career Span: 1948–1962
- Matches: 56
- Goals: 22
- Average: 0.39
Charles Antenen, also known as “Kiki,” was a prominent Swiss football player, born on November 3, 1929, in La Chaux-de-Fonds. He made his debut for the Swiss national football team at the young age of 18, on June 20, 1948, in a 3-3 draw against Spain in Zurich.
He played a significant role in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, scoring goals against Yugoslavia and Mexico. In the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, he played in matches against England, Italy, and Austria, although the latter ended in a 5-7 loss after Switzerland initially led 3-0.
Antenen continued his impressive career and helped Switzerland qualify for the 1962 World Cup by playing crucial matches against Belgium and Sweden. He scored five goals in these games and was also a top scorer in the playoff against Sweden, contributing to a 2-1 victory in Berlin on November 12, 1961. In his third World Cup appearance in 1962, he played in matches against Chile, Germany, and Italy. He ended his fourteen-year national team career after the game against Italy on June 7, 1962, in Santiago.
Throughout his international career, Antenen made 56 appearances for the Swiss national team and scored 22 goals. He was a well-known figure in the Swiss National League for two decades and was recognized in Europe. Interestingly, he came from a family with a cycling background, being the son of Charles Antenen Sr. and the nephew of Kastor Notter.
