Retro glasses, silver hair and a response to James Corden that travelled the world: Murat Yakin is leading Switzerland through their best World Cup in decades and has become the style icon of the tournament along the way.
During the round of 16 between Switzerland and Colombia, part of the world struggled to follow the ball. The reason stood on the touchline: Murat Yakin, 51, Switzerland's head coach. While his team battled their way to a penalty shootout, social media users around the globe celebrated the man in the suit, with a white tee, white sneakers, grey slicked-back hair and a pair of retro glasses that has long reached cult status.
The comparisons came thick and fast. The internet sees Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen in Yakin, and Colombian newspaper El Colombiano seriously asked whether the two are brothers. The New York Times was reminded of Adam Driver as Maurizio Gucci back at Euro 2024. Yakin's dry response to the wave of compliments at the time: “I'm happily married and have two children. There's nothing to gain here.”
Murat Yakin and the Bond moment of this World Cup
At this World Cup, the hype reached the next level, and it led to US television. On his show “Fox After Hours”, James Corden explained that Yakin reminded him of a Bond villain. The answer came promptly: before the next show went on air, Fox Sports received an email from the Swiss Football Association, with a video attached. Corden assured his audience the clip was completely real before playing it. It shows Yakin in a leather armchair, dimly lit, underscored with tension music.
“We Swiss are not villains. We are as precise as a Swiss watch,” Yakin says in the video, explaining that his only evil intent is to defeat other national teams at this World Cup. Then he lowers his glasses and winks at the camera. The studio erupted, and the host could barely contain his delight.
Photo Gallery Block
The glasses playing the leading role are a phenomenon of their own. The “Reyes” model by Swiss label Götti, Spanish for “kings”, is 3D-printed in Wädenswil. Since the World Cup began, the brand has reported a surge in orders and now features the Nati coach on its own website. A watch brand discovered Yakin long ago, too: he has been a brand ambassador for Cyrus Watch since last year.
Murat Yakin: from Oviesse model to the face of the World Cup
None of this is new, by the way. Back in the early 2000s, while still an active national team player, Yakin modelled for Italian fashion chain Oviesse. In an interview at the time, he advised men to let their wives guide their fashion choices.
The style hype rests on solid sporting foundations: Yakin has taken Switzerland to their first World Cup quarter-final since 1954. In the night to Sunday, defending champions Argentina await. Messi versus the man with the glasses.
