Lucas Blondel Entered the Preliminary List of the Switzerland National Team.

Lucas Blondel was included in the preliminary list of the Swiss national team for the upcoming FIFA date friendlies in March. The coach of the Swiss team, Murat Yakin, has shown interest in the player due to his Swiss roots on his father's side, Jean-Yves Blondel, a former tennis player born in Réchy who reached the 546th position in the ATP ranking in 1987.

The coach traveled to Argentina in February and visited both La Bombonera and Boca Predio, where he met with the player to express his desire to have him on the team. The Turkish-born Swiss national highlighted that the footballer "represents the Argentine grit and mentality," qualities he considers beneficial for the Swiss group.

The 28-year-old Xeneize right-back has already given the green light to wear the Swiss jersey and could debut in the friendlies scheduled against Northern Ireland on March 21 and Luxembourg on March 25. The final list of drafts will be announced on March 13, and his inclusion will depend on the Swiss coaching staff's final decision.

Blondel's case will represent a rarity for the Swiss national team, as it usually doesn't have naturalized South American players in its ranks. One of the most notable precedents occurred two decades ago with Colombian Johan Vonlanthen Benavídez, who emigrated to Switzerland as a child and ended up representing the country in Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup.

While the highlight for the Swiss this year is the European Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup taking place in September, where they will share Group B with Kosovo, Sweden, and Slovenia, these matches will help Blondel gain the coaching staff's confidence and gradually establish himself in the team.