Xhaka claims Switzerland can achieve their finest World Cup yet ahead of Qatar match

Competing in his fourth World Cup, Xhaka stated that the Swiss team is confident and 'longing for it as never before', and they will give their all to secure victory against the consecutive Asian champions in Santa Clara on Saturday.

"In football we often discuss tactics, but you must also savour the moment and I believe that is one of the most crucial aspects of football: to step onto the pitch and feel free," Xhaka said during a press conference.

"We simply want to deliver our best performance tomorrow. We will aim to play well for Switzerland and for our families. Tomorrow we will take the first significant step. This will be our best World Cup.

"We are now eager," he added. "We are prepared and set. We are physically prepared, we are mentally prepared."

Switzerland are participating in their sixth consecutive World Cup, a record matched in Europe only by France, Spain, England, Portugal and Germany.

However, unlike those teams, the Swiss have little to show for their efforts, having been eliminated in the round of 16 in five of their last six appearances, with their most recent quarter final dating back to 1954.

A victory over Qatar would place them at the top of Group B, ahead of Bosnia and co-hosts Canada, who drew 1-1 on Friday.

Lessons from previous World Cup

Xhaka, 33, is the linchpin of Switzerland's team and the nation's most capped player.

He is anticipated to surpass the 150-cap milestone during the World Cup, and on Saturday, he and defender Ricardo Rodriguez will, if chosen, both establish a national record of 13 tournament appearances.

Coach Murat Yakin stated that his current squad possesses the ability to perform well at the World Cup and his objective is to take the game to Qatar from the outset.

He noted that his squad, 17 of whom were part of the last World Cup, had learned a great deal from that tournament, from which they were eliminated in the round of 16 with a 6-1 defeat by Portugal.

"Two thirds of the players in my team have already competed in a major tournament," Yakin said. "We learned our lessons from the past. Now, four years later, we have more experience. We do things better."