Granit Xhaka

Granit Xhaka is Switzerland's captain and record appearance holder with 146 caps, a defensive midfielder who won two FA Cups with Arsenal and the historic Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double with Bayer Leverkusen in 2023–24 before joining Sunderland in 2025.

Xhaka started at FC Basel, winning two consecutive league titles, before joining Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2012, where he developed into a natural leader and club captain. A £35 million move to Arsenal in 2016 brought him two FA Cups over nearly 300 appearances.

His 2023 transfer to Bayer Leverkusen proved transformative: he was a key part of the club's first-ever Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal double in 2023–24. He joined Sunderland as captain in July 2025. For Switzerland he has featured in three World Cups and three European Championships.