A Mission Valley soccer weekend titled “Countdown to 2026” kicks off with Australia playing Switzerland at noon Saturday, followed by Colombia vs. Jordan at 4 p.m. Sunday—one week before the World Cup begins elsewhere.
By the time Saturday arrives, Mission Valley will look like it’s already wearing 2026 on its jersey.
A two-day international event called “Countdown to 2026” is set to bring four World Cup teams to Snapdragon Stadium one week before the tournament begins elsewhere this summer. Australia takes on Switzerland at noon on Saturday, and Colombia meets Jordan at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
For San Diego, the weekend is more than a slate of friendlies. Sports San Diego and local partners have been trying to prove the region can host the kind of global spotlight that usually goes to bigger soccer hubs. This time. FIFA’s biggest stage is coming to Los Angeles and radiating across the continent. and city officials decided San Diego wouldn’t sit out the party.
Sports San Diego’s first move was to pitch the city as a training base camp—somewhere national teams could live, train, and settle during their tournament run. That effort landed results quickly: Switzerland and New Zealand selected San Diego as their temporary World Cup homes.
Sports San Diego CEO Mark Neville said Switzerland wanted to arrange a friendly while based in San Diego. and that Australia was already lined up as the opponent. Around the same time, San Diego FC was working on a separate Colombia-Jordan friendly for Sunday. When the scheduling overlap became clear. four groups—Sports San Diego. SDFC. Snapdragon Stadium and Lions Sports & Media—decided to package everything into one weekend.
“We got two international friendlies, four teams that are participating in the FIFA World Cup, playing right here in San Diego, less than a week before the tournament gets started,” Neville said. “It doesn’t happen very often that we’re able to do something like this.”
The lineup also lands with particular meaning for fans in the United States. Australia is ranked No. 27 in the world and will be of immediate interest to American supporters because the Socceroos are the Americans’ second opponent in Group D. They meet the United States on June 19 in Seattle.
Switzerland, ranked No. 19 in the FIFA rankings, sits in Group B. Depending on how the bracket breaks, it could become a knockout-round obstacle for Mexico.
The Swiss arrive with a recent resume that fans know well: Switzerland reached the quarterfinals of Euro 2024 before falling to England on penalties. Their modern identity is built on structure, midfield maturity and competitive nerve. Granit Xhaka remains the organizing force, with Remo Freuler another steadying presence in midfield.
There is also history—real, specific history—to chase. Since hosting the 1954 World Cup and reaching the quarterfinals, Switzerland has never progressed past the second round.
Their preparation for Saturday’s friendly, though, has come with a late complication. Breel Embolo’s travel clearance to enter the United States had been under review because of a past criminal conviction tied to an incident in 2018. which delayed the arrival of the Swiss striker. Embolo was scheduled to arrive in San Diego on Friday evening. and that timeline could still affect his availability for the match.
Australia’s story is different, built around a team trying to turn experience into momentum. While Switzerland is chasing something like a ceiling-breaking breakthrough for a steady program, the Socceroos are trying to push a transitional roster toward a first World Cup knockout win.
Tony Popovic took over after a team that had been wobbling under Graham Arnold. Popovic guided Australia through Asian qualifying with discipline and defensive structure. leaning into traits he used as a rugged center back. Australia arrives with a 26-man squad—18 of whom are experiencing their first-ever World Cup cycle.
Captain Mat Ryan and Mathew Leckie bring tournament experience, but much of the intrigue sits with the younger players—those who will have to absorb the weight of the tournament while the older core tries to steer it.
After Saturday, the stakes sharpen quickly across the tournament schedule. Switzerland opens Group B against Qatar before facing Bosnia-Herzegovina and co-host Canada. Australia opens against Turkiye, then faces the United States and Paraguay.
For now, San Diego gets the stage first.
‘Countdown to 2026’ exhibitions
What: World Cup friendlies
Who: Switzerland vs. Australia, noon Saturday; Colombia vs. Jordan, 4 p.m. Sunday
Where: Snapdragon Stadium
Countdown to 2026 San Diego World Cup warmup Switzerland vs Australia friendly Colombia vs Jordan friendly Snapdragon Stadium Mission Valley soccer Sports San Diego Mark Neville Granit Xhaka Remo Freuler Breel Embolo