Hells Angels' Breel Embolo misses national team games in September

Breel Embolo, the former Bundesliga striker, will not feature for Switzerland in the current international match period. Following Granit Xhaka, Embolo is also being excluded in September and October. He is also involved in the vaccine‑passport scandal. The Swiss Football Association made the decision public on Friday.

The association announced that Embolo had informed them about his private life via a media announcement. Consequently, the association's leadership decided that he will not join the national team as planned.

Selection omission due to vaccine‑passport scandal

In 2021, Embolo obtained forged Covid vaccination certificates through a member of the Hells Angels. The Basel public prosecutor issued a penalty order on 25 November 2025 for multiple counts of incitement to forgery.

The player received a conditional fine of 20 daily rates of 3,000 francs each. Embolo told “Switzerland today”: “I have realized that my actions at the time were not right, and I have taken responsibility for them. Therefore I have accepted the penalty order.”

Legal consequences and penalties

Granit Xhaka also admitted that, out of fear and uncertainty, he had purchased a Covid vaccination certificate. After the Lucerne public prosecutor opened investigations, Xhaka confirmed the purchase in an Instagram post.

Following the revelations, Xhaka also did not travel to the national team. Both players will therefore miss the upcoming matches.

The national team will play away in September against North Macedonia (26th) and Scotland (29th), followed by matches against Slovenia (3rd) and North Macedonia again (6th) in October. Without Embolo and Xhaka, the team must contest the games without its two former Bundesliga professionals.

Breel Embolo currently plays for Atlanta United in the USA. His club career remains untouched by the national controversy.

The parallel cases of Embolo and Xhaka show that the Swiss football authority acts consistently on violations of the vaccine‑passport regulations, and the national team will have to manage in the future without the two attacking players.