Serbia v Switzerland, 22 June 2018

Kick-off: 8.00pm local Serbia v Switzerland was Match 26 of the FIFA World Cup 2018 Refereeing team: Referee: Felix Brych (Germany) Assistant Referee 1: Mark Borsch (Germany) Assistant Referee 2: Stefan Lupp (Germany) Fourth Official: Nawaf Shukralla (Bahrain) Reserve AR: Yaser Tulefat (Bahrain) VAR: Felix Zwayer (Germany) AVAR 1: Bastian Dankert (Germany) AVAR 2: Carlos Astroza (Chile) AVAR 3: Clement Turpin (France) Switzerland became the first team to win a game at this World Cup finals after falling behind. This was the first meeting between Serbia and Switzerland, although the Swiss did meet Yugoslavia on 13 occasions (won two and lost six) between 1933 and 2001. FIFA and UEFA consider Serbia as the only successor of Yugoslavia. Goalscorers Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri are both of Kosovan descent. Following the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February 2008. Xhaka's father spent over three years as a political prisoner in Yugoslavia while Shaqiri was born in Yugoslavia before emigrating to Switzerland as a child. Granit Xhaka became the third Swiss player to score at more than one World Cup finals (also Andre Abegglen in 1934 and 1938 and Jackie Fatton in 1950 and 1954). There had not now been a goalless draw in the first 26 games of this World Cup finals, so equalling the competition record from 1954 when only 26 games were played.