Switzerland's national soccer team jetted off to Russia on Monday, where the players are scheduled to install themselves in the city of Samara, their assigned base for the duration of the FIFA World Cup. Images released showed the team was in good spirits and seemingly relaxed just prior to take-off from Zurich airport, where the World Cup line-up was treated to a send-off from several loyal fans, reports Efe.

The Alpine nation is currently sixth in the FIFA World Rankings. However, they have a mountain to climb in the opening stages of Group E, with a fixture on Sunday against one of the competition's hottest favourites Brazil, in which the experience of long-serving defender Stephan Lichtsteiner will be vital to check the threat posed by the likes of Neymar Jr.