10 Granit Xhaka Quotes — Dreaming Big, Leadership & Switzerland's Captain at the World Cup 2026
Granit Xhaka (1992-present) is a Swiss midfielder, the captain of Switzerland and of Sunderland, and one of modern football's great redemption stories. The son of Albanian parents from Kosovo — his father spent three and a half years as a political prisoner in Yugoslavia — Xhaka grew up in Basel and rose through Borussia Mönchengladbach and Arsenal, where a public clash with fans in 2019 nearly broke his career. Instead of shrinking, he rebuilt himself into the emotional leader of Bayer Leverkusen's historic unbeaten Bundesliga title in 2023-24.
At the 2026 World Cup, his fourth in a row, Xhaka has been the metronome and voice of Murat Yakin's Switzerland. The Nati navigated their group and beat Algeria 2-0 in the Round of 32 to march into the last sixteen, with their captain — who told FIFA before the tournament "I love to dream, and I dream big" — refusing to put a ceiling on a country of just under nine million people. From a political prisoner's son to the armband at a World Cup, Xhaka's story is written in his own defiant words.
Who Is Granit Xhaka?
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Born | September 27, 1992, Basel, Switzerland |
| Nationality | Swiss (Kosovar-Albanian heritage) |
| Position | Central midfielder |
| Club (2026) | Sunderland (Premier League, England) — club captain |
| Known For | Captaining Switzerland at four consecutive World Cups; Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten 2023-24 Bundesliga double; Arsenal captaincy and redemption; leadership at Sunderland |
Key Achievements and Episodes
The Arsenal Storm and the Long Road Back — 2019
In October 2019, Arsenal's then-captain reacted furiously to jeers from his own supporters as he was substituted, cupping his ear and storming down the tunnel. He was stripped of the captaincy and seemed finished in London. Instead, Xhaka stayed, fought his way back into the team under Mikel Arteta, and left in 2023 with supporters singing his name — one of the Premier League era's most complete public redemptions.
Leverkusen's Invincible Double — 2023-24
Signed by Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2023, Xhaka became the on-pitch brain of one of European football's greatest single seasons: Leverkusen won the 2023-24 Bundesliga without losing a single league match — the first unbeaten champions in the competition's history — and added the DFB-Pokal to complete a domestic double. Xhaka played virtually every minute that mattered, dictating tempo and organizing the press.
Sunderland and a Fourth World Cup — 2025-26
In July 2025, Xhaka stunned observers by joining newly promoted Sunderland, calling it perhaps the biggest challenge of his career, and was immediately named club captain. A year later he led Switzerland — at his fourth consecutive World Cup after 2014, 2018 and 2022 — through the group stage and past Algeria, 2-0, in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, carrying the Nati into the last sixteen in North America.
Xhaka Quotes on Dreaming Big with Switzerland
Switzerland has never reached a World Cup semi-final. Its captain refuses to treat that as a law of nature — and he has the receipts, having led the Nati past world champions France at Euro 2020.
"I love to dream, and I dream big."
Source: interview with FIFA.com ahead of the 2026 World Cup. At his fourth consecutive World Cup, the Swiss captain refused to put a ceiling on his team.
"There's just over eight million people in Switzerland, so we aren't a big country, but we know the target and I hope we can do something special."
Source: interview with FIFA.com, 2026. A small nation, a clear target — the line became the unofficial motto of Switzerland's 2026 campaign.
"This team is f***ing amazing."
Source: post-match interview after Switzerland eliminated world champions France on penalties at Euro 2020, June 2021. Raw, unfiltered pride after the greatest result in modern Swiss football history.
Xhaka Quotes on Leadership and Mentality
Four captaincies — Mönchengladbach, Arsenal, Leverkusen's on-field leadership, Sunderland — plus the Swiss armband. Xhaka's philosophy of leadership is built on aggression channeled into responsibility, and on choosing hard challenges on purpose.
"I like to play football. I'm an aggressive player and also a leader."
Source: early-career interview, widely republished. The self-description he has never walked back — aggression, in his telling, is a leadership tool.
"We won't go into the game with the plan to play for a draw, we want to win every game, whether that's against Bayern on Saturday, or against any other team. We have this mentality in the team, and we have earned it with good performances in the last few years."
Source: interview with Bundesliga.com during Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten 2023-24 title race. Leverkusen did not lose a single league game all season.
"I'm very proud to be here. When I spoke to the club, I was excited and I felt the energy, and the mentality that all the people and players have. It's exactly what I wanted, and I have a very good feeling."
Source: first interview after signing for Sunderland, July 2025. The Champions League-caliber midfielder chose a newly promoted club — on purpose.
"This may be the biggest challenge of my career so far. But I took it and I want to show that day-by-day and on the pitch as well."
Source: comments on his move to Sunderland, 2025. After winning an unbeaten Bundesliga title, he chose difficulty over comfort.
"We are back to where this club needs to be, and we want to stay here to write our own history."
Source: comments as Sunderland captain during the club's return to the Premier League, 2025-26 season.
Xhaka Quotes on Family and Roots
Xhaka's parents emigrated from Kosovo to Switzerland before he was born; his father had been jailed for pro-democracy protests as a student in Yugoslavia. That history — and gratitude to the country that took his family in — anchors everything he says about identity.
"It's true that my father was imprisoned for three and a half years, and it was because he stood up for what he believed in."
Source: interview about his family history, widely republished. His father Ragip was a political prisoner in Yugoslavia for joining student demonstrations for democracy.
"Maybe if I was born in Kosovo, I might not be where I am now, so I need to thank Switzerland, of course, because I went to school there, learnt to play football there, and started my career there."
Source: interview on his dual identity, widely republished. Xhaka captains Switzerland while his brother Taulant chose to play for Albania — the two faced each other at Euro 2016.
Frequently Asked Questions About Granit Xhaka
What is Granit Xhaka's most famous quote?
Xhaka's most famous line came after Switzerland knocked out world champions France on penalties at Euro 2020, when he told reporters: "This team is f***ing amazing." Ahead of the 2026 World Cup he offered a more measured version of the same belief, telling FIFA.com: "I love to dream, and I dream big" — and noting that a country of just over eight million people can still "do something special."
What club does Granit Xhaka play for in 2026?
Xhaka plays for Sunderland in the English Premier League, where he is club captain. He joined from Bayer Leverkusen in July 2025, a year after anchoring Leverkusen's historic unbeaten Bundesliga title and domestic double in 2023-24. He described the Sunderland move as possibly the biggest challenge of his career.
Is Granit Xhaka playing at the 2026 World Cup?
Yes. Xhaka captains Switzerland at the 2026 World Cup in North America — his fourth consecutive World Cup after 2014, 2018 and 2022. Under head coach Murat Yakin, Switzerland came through their group and beat Algeria 2-0 in the Round of 32 to reach the last sixteen of the expanded 48-team tournament.
Related Quote Collections
- Switzerland World Cup 2026 Quotes — The Nati's full squad and campaign
- World Cup 2026 Quotes Hub — All nations of the tournament
- David Alaba Quotes — Austria's captain and fellow alpine leader
- Bruno Fernandes Quotes — Another Premier League captain who runs on responsibility
- Zinedine Zidane Quotes — Midfield mastery and immigrant roots