Leeds United forward Noah Okafor has announced he will not play for Switzerland again while Murat Yakin remains head coach, citing a breakdown in trust with the national team leadership.
The 26-year-old has earned 26 caps for Switzerland since making his international debut in 2019. However, he played just 19 minutes at the World Cup, coming off the bench during Switzerland's last-32 victory over Algeria.
In a statement posted on Instagram on Thursday, Okafor insisted his decision was not motivated by a lack of playing time. Instead, he pointed to how he believes he was treated by the current coaching staff.
"My decision has nothing to do with my playing time," Okafor wrote. "Things happened that hurt me deeply. Trust was broken. Commitments were not kept."
Okafor also revealed he was unhappy with the reaction to mistakes he made during his appearance against Algeria.
"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.
The forward added that after reflecting on the situation in the weeks following the tournament, he decided he would no longer represent Switzerland under Yakin.
The Swiss Football Association was informed of Okafor's decision on Thursday and said it respected his position.
"We respect his decision and wish him every success with his club," a spokesperson told Reuters.
Switzerland return to action on 26 September when they travel to North Macedonia for their opening match of the 2026-27 Nations League.
Okafor joined Leeds United from AC Milan in August 2025 for £18 million.
Yakin has been Switzerland's head coach since August 2021.
