In a decisive match at the 2026 World Junior Championship, Switzerland shut out Germany with a commanding 4-0 victory. The game, held on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, saw Switzerland secure their first win of the tournament and a coveted spot in the quarter-finals. Germany, after suffering their fourth straight loss, now faces the relegation round.
Switzerland's Kimi Koerbler led the charge with two goals. He was assisted by Gian Meier and Niklas Blessing on his first goal. Jamiro Reber contributed a power-play goal, assisted by Leon Muggli and Lars Steiner, extending Switzerland's lead in the first period. Ludvig Johnson further solidified Switzerland's dominance with a goal in the second period, assisted by Basile Sansonnens and Paul Mottard. Goalie Christian Kirsch earned his first career World Junior shutout, successfully saving all 20 shots.
The Swiss dominated their rivals from the start, opening the scoring at 11:42 when Koerbler redirected a pass from Meier past German netminder Lennart Neisse. On the power play, Muggli located Reber who made it 2-0. Early in the second period, Koerbler stole the puck from Germany's captain Tobias Schwarz and scored his second goal.
Lennart Neisse faced a barrage of shots, with Switzerland outshooting Germany 47-20. While Neisse made several difficult saves, the lack of defensive support made it difficult for him to prevent the shutout. Switzerland capitalized on special teams, scoring their first power-play goal of the tournament while maintaining a perfect penalty-killing record.
With this victory, Switzerland advances to the quarter-finals for the tenth consecutive year. Their next game is against Slovakia on New Year's Eve, where a victory could improve their quarter-final seeding. Germany will now prepare for the relegation game where they will face either Denmark or Latvia.
Several players stood out during the game. For Switzerland, Leon Muggli demonstrated his puck-handling skills and playmaking abilities. Lars Steiner was also noted for his vision and hockey sense. Despite the loss, Lennart Neiße was a top performer for Germany.
This game marked the first meeting between Switzerland and Germany in the World Juniors since 2022.
