This article is part of the Guardian's World Cup 2014 Experts' Network, a co-operation between 32 of the best media organisations from the countries who have qualified for the finals in Brazil. theguardian.com is running previews from four countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 12 June.
Josip Drmic
Back in 2009, the Swiss Under-17s won the first World Cup title for Switzerland. Back home, Josip Drmic watched the celebration in Nigeria on the television. Weeks before Drmic had failed his Swiss citizenship test for the second time. Without a Swiss passport, there was no World Cup for the young striker. In the end, Drmic passed the test and became a Swiss citizen. Since the qualifiers the 21-year-old is the upcoming hopeful for goals at the World Cup.
Diego Benaglio
Switzerland's No1, Diego Benaglio, not only takes responsibility on the pitch. He is also dedicated to help the young players off it. The 30-year-old father of two is an ambassador for the foundation 'Pro Juventute' and campaigns against cyber bullying. "The same rules apply on the internet as they do on the football pitch," says Benaglio. "Only fair play counts."
Fabian Schär
Better late then never. In 2012, Fabian Schär not only played for FC Wil in the second division, he also worked as a banker. Shortly after, Schär moved to FC Basel, was called up to the national squad and made his debut under Ottmar Hitzfeld in August 2013. Since then, the 22-year-old has had a fast rise and his position for club and country are both undisputed.
Ricardo Rodriguez
If there is a football gene, the family of Ricardo Rodriguez has definitely got it. Since 2012, the defender has played for the German side Wolfsburg, and his brothers have all followed suit as professional players. His older brother, Roberto, plays as a midfielder for St Gallen, who last year qualified for the group stage in the Europa League by eliminating Spartak Moscow. His younger sibling, Francisco, plays in the youth team of FC Zurich, the same team where Ricardo's career first took off.
Admir Mehmedi
In 2012, Mehmedi moved to the Ukrainian club Dynamo Kiev. In his new home he felt lonely and decided to buy himself a dog. A pug called Tim to be precise … he walked his beloved dog four times a day and finally had a friend. However, when he moved to the German side Freiburg, Mehmedi had to leave his dog behind in Ukraine.
Jill Zimmerli writes for the Swiss newspaper Blick.