Injured Leeds winger Noah Okafor handed World Cup lift as Switzerland confirm 2026 squad | OneFootball

Injured Leeds winger Noah Okafor has been named in Switzerland’s 2026 World Cup squad. The 25-year-old missed the 1-1 draw at Tottenham and the 1-0 win over Brighton with a calf issue.

According to yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk, he is the third Leeds player confirmed for the tournament, alongside Gabriel Gudmundsson with Sweden and Ao Tanaka with Japan. He has eight goals and one assist in 28 Premier League appearances, 19 starts and nine as a substitute.

He ended a 17-month international exile earlier this year and was called up in March but did not play, later indicating it was precautionary after a hamstring injury.

Spring brought his best form, with three goals, including a match-winning brace at Old Trafford, and an assist that earned an April Premier League Player of the Month nomination, before scoring against Burnley in May. The brace secured Leeds’ first top flight win at Old Trafford since 1981 and won Performance of the Year at last night’s awards.

Switzerland open Group B against Qatar on 13 June, then face Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 June, before co-hosts Canada on 24 June, managed by former Leeds boss Jesse Marsch.

It remains to be seen if Okafor will be fit for West Ham, and with his World Cup place secure he is highly unlikely to be rushed. Sunday’s win over Brighton underlined how quickly injuries can change, with Anton Stach a reminder, and Leeds now have only league position and pride at stake at the London Stadium.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk