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Leeds United forward Noah Okafor has quit the Switzerland national team, citing a breakdown in trust with coach Murat Yakin.
The 26-year-old announced his decision on Instagram on Thursday, saying it was not related to his limited playing time.
Okafor has made 26 appearances for Switzerland since making his international debut in 2019.
He played only 19 minutes at the World Cup, coming on as a substitute in Switzerland’s last-32 victory over Algeria.
“My decision has nothing to do with my playing time.
“Things happened that hurt me deeply. Trust was broken. Commitments were not kept,” Okafor said.
The forward also criticised the reaction to his performance against Algeria, saying the criticism of his mistakes had affected him deeply.
“When I was allowed to play against Algeria, people reacted to minor mistakes far away from our goal in a way that hurt me deeply,” he said.
Okafor said he later decided that he no longer wanted to represent Switzerland under Yakin.
“In the weeks that followed, I thought a lot and decided for myself that I no longer want to play for the national team under the current manager,” he added.
The Swiss Football Association confirmed it had received the player’s decision.
A spokesperson told Reuters, “We respect his decision and wish him every success with his club.”
Switzerland will begin their 2026-27 Nations League campaign away to North Macedonia on September 26.
Okafor joined Leeds United from Italian club AC Milan in August 2025 for £18 million.
Yakin has been Switzerland’s head coach since August 2021.
