Margairaz was a surprise inclusion in Switzerland's 23-man squad but the FC Zurich midfielder benefited from injuries to brothers Murat and Hakan Yakin and Benjamin Huggel's suspension after his part in the volatile play-off win against Turkey. Margairaz was named by Jakob Kuhn despite making just one previous competitive appearance as a substitute in the World Cup qualifier away to the Faroe Islands. The 21-year-old played for Lausanne before moving to FC Zurich.