Spain won the World Cup for the first time in 2010.
This was a La Roja outfit littered with elite talent. Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta were all midfield options for Vicente Del Bosque. David Villa led the charge with David Silva. Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol and Sergio Ramos featured in defence. It was truly World Class side.
However, South Africa 2010 wasn’t plain sailing for Spain. They ultimately went the distance, but, like Argentina in Qatar, they needed an early hiccup to kick them into gear.
Del Bosque could only watch on as his Spain side fell to a shock 1-0 defeat to Switzerland in their Group H opener. Spain went on to book their knockout spot owing to wins over Honduras and Chile.
Switzerland, meanwhile, exited the World Cup at the group stages having collected just four points from their two games.
But what happened to the 14 players that featured for the Swiss side back in 2010? We’ve run through the XI, and subs, that took to the field in Durban 12 years ago.
Diego Benaglio
- Position: Goalkeeper
- Age: 42
Before the heady days of Yann Sommer, Diego Benaglio was first choice for Switzerland. The Swiss shotstopper, best remembered for his time with Bundesliga outfit Monaco, started all three World Cup games in South Africa.
Benaglio, who won 61 international caps for Switzerland, was also their first choice at the 2014 showpiece, where they performed a little better as they made the last-16 before their extra-time exit to eventual runners up Argentina. Shortly after the showpiece in Brazil, Benaglio called time on his international career.
He went on to join Monaco in 2017 before hanging up his gloves in 2020.
Stephan Lichtsteiner
- Position: Right-back
- Age: 42
Having impressed at Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup was when Stephan Lichtsteiner really exploded onto the scene. Then plying his trade for Lazio, the right-back was key for the Swiss.
And his performances didn’t go unnoticed. Lichtsteiner went on to sign for Juventus in 2011, and then on to Arsenal in 2018. The right-back retired in 2020 and took his first major job in club management last month, taking over the reins at FC Basel, where he is managing former international teammate Xherdan Shaqiri.
Philippe Senderos
- Position: Centre-back
- Age: 40
The man, the myth, the Arsenal legend, in the flesh. Philippe Senderos played his part in keeping Villa, Silva, Iniesta, and co. at bay, albeit for 35 minutes having been forced off in the first half. However, Senderos had left the Gunners by the time Switzerland’s win over Spain took place. Indeed, he joined Fulham on a free transfer eight days before the World Cup upset.
The defender missed a substantial chunk of his first campaign in west London owing to an Achilles injury, and it wasn’t until April 2011 that he made his debut for the Whites. He briefly played for Valenca, before returning to England with Aston Villa. Senderos would go on to play for Grasshoppers, Rangers, Houston Dynamo and Chiasso, and ultimately retired in 2019.
Stephane Grichting
- Position: Centre-back
- Age: 46
Not exactly a household name in world football, Stephane Grichting was a solid performer at the heart of the Switzerland defence against Spain in 2010. That he was carded after half hour is all the more notable. He had to navigate a disciplinary tightrope for the best part of an hour.
Grichting was plying his trade for Auxerre at the time having left Sion for the French side in 2002. In 2012, he was back in Switzerland, this time for Grasshoppers before retiring in 2015, shortly before Senderos made the move to the Zurich based side.
Reto Ziegler
- Position: Left-back
- Age: 40
Rounding off the defence is a familiar face to Tottenham fans. Reto Ziegler’s time at Spurs had come and gone by the time the 2010 World Cup kicked off, the left-back having departed north London for Sampdoria in 2007.
In truth, Ziegler enjoyed quite the whirlwind career having played top-flight football in seven countries, including Italy, Germany, Russia, Turkey and USA. The defender re-signed for Sion in 2023, the club he left in 2017, and remained with the Swiss side until he retired from the game last year.
Tranquillo Barnetta
- Position: Right wing
- Age: 40
Featuring in front of Lichtsteiner on the right flank, Tranquillo Barnetta was always revered as a nippy winger and enjoyed a fairly modest career at club level. The wideman departed St. Gallen for Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in 2004, and spent eight years with the German giants, albeit with a loan spell at Hannover thrown in for good measure.
In 2012, he left for Schalke, and moved to MLS side Philadelphia Union in 2015. Barnetta’s career then came full circle in 2017 when he returned to St. Gallen, and he ultimately hung up his boots in 2019.
Gokhan Inler
- Position: Central midfield
- Age: 41
Switzerland’s captain against Spain, Gokhan Inler’s tenacity in the middle of the park was vital in that famous win in Durban. The La Roja stars struggled with the hi-octane style. Then playing for Udinese having joined from FC Zurich in 2007, Inler would go on to join Napoli in 2011, with his best years coming in Serie A.
Inler moved to Premier League side Leicester in 2015, and was part of their famous Premier League title-winning team, albeit having made a handful of appearances. The combative star then tried his luck in Turkey with Besiktas, Istanbul Basaksehir and Adana Demirspor. Post-retirement, Inler was named Technical Director for Udinese in 2024, a role he holds to this day.
Benjamin Huggel
- Position: Central midfield
- Age: 48
Now 48 years of age, Benjamin Huggel was one of the more experienced members of the Switzerland squad back in 2010. An intimidating presence in the middle of the park, ‘Beni’ used his 6ft3in standing to good effect. Huggel started his senior career with FC Basel in 1998, and left for Eintracht Frankfurt in 2005.
Following a two-year spell with the German side, Huggel returned to Basel in 2007 and continued to play a key role for the Swiss side until 2012. His time with the club didn’t end there, however. Huggel currently operates as the assistant manager for the U21 side.
Gelson Fernandes
- Position: Left wing
- Age: 39
Switzerland’s match winner against Spain, Gelson Fernandes’ second half strike was one of only two goals he scored for the national team in his career. While a central midfielder by trade, Fernandes started from the left in a 4-4-2 setup in South Africa back in 2010.
The well-travelled Swiss star spent time at Sion and Manchester City before moving to Saint-Etienne in 2009. Even with the French side, he struggled to hold down a role, going out on loan to Chievo, Leicester and Udinese, and he departed permanently in 2012 for Portuguese side Sporting CP. It wasn’t until a move to Rennes in 2014 that Fernandes nailed down a regular starting spot, though he did leave for Eintracht Frankfurt in 2017 before retiring in 2020. Hardly the most glamourous footballer, he wrote his name into the history books for all the right reasons in 2010.
Eren Derdiyok
- Position: Striker
- Age: 37
Featuring as the second striker, journeyman forward Eren Derdiyok was hardly the most prolific for both club and country. However, he was a menace to play against. Standing at 6ft2in, Derdiyok was always willing to ruffle opposition feathers.
Having come through the ranks at Old Boys, Derdiyok moved to FC Basel in 2007, and onto Bayer Leverkusen in 2009. He’d leave Germany via a stint with Hoffenheim in 2014, chancing his luck in Turkey with Kasimpasa, Galatasaray and Goztepe. With a brief stint in Uzbekistan with Pakhtakor thrown in for good measure, Derdiyok returned to Switzerland in 2023 to join Schaffhausen before retiring in 2024.
Blaise Nkufo
- Position: Striker
- Age: 50
Blaise Nkufo was born in Zaira by emigrated to Switzerland at the age of seven and started his career with Lausanne back in 1993. Nkufo spent the bulk of his career in Switzerland, though it was with Twente that he is best remembered having made 223 appearances and scored 114 goals across a seven-year spell with the Dutch side.
Nkufo moved to Seattle Sounders in 2010 and having been released by the MLS side in 2011, he called time on his career. The 50-year-old works as the head coach of Rino’s Tigers in the Vancouver Metro Soccer League Premier Division, a position he has held since 2017. Nkufo also operates as the managing director of the Blaise Soccer Elite Training INC.
Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets with Bet365
Not signed up to bet365 yet? Here's how to claim one of the best bookmaker welcome offers around...
- Open an account (here's a link)
- Make a qualifying deposit of between £5* and £10*
- Claim the offer to receive three times your deposit in 'Free Bets'.
- To release your 'Free Bets', place qualifying bets to the value of your qualifying deposit and allow those bets to settle.
- Your 'Free Bets' will become available shortly after your qualifying bets have settled
- To use your 'Free Bets', select 'Use bet credits' in the bet slip.
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.
Subs
Steve von Bergen
- Position: Centre-back
- Age: 42
Steve von Bergen replaced Senderos after 35 minutes in Durban in 2010. It was quite the sink or swim moment for the defender, who’d joined Cesena after departing Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin that same summer.
Von Bergen left Cesena for Genoa in 2012, and then moved to Palermo that same year. In 2013, the defender returned to Switzerland for Young Boys and retired in 2019. Now, Von Bergen is the Sporting Director for Young Boys.
Hakan Yakin
- Position: Forward
- Age: 48
The younger brother of current Swizerland head coach Murat Yakin, Hakan Yakin replaced Derdiyok for the final 10 minutes against Spain. Yakin was a journeyman forward during his playing days having played in Switzerland, Germany, France, Turkey and Qatar.
He’s now the manager of Schaffhausen having returned to the club in March last year.
Mario Eggimann
- Position: Defender
- Age: 45
Deep into second half injury time, Mario Eggimann replaced Barnetta as Switzerland wound down the clock to claim a famous win. Eggimann is best remembered for his time in Germany, notably Karlsruher and Hannover, and retired from football in 2015.
Read more:
