Kosovo national football team
The Kosovo national football team (Albanian: Kombëtarja e futbollit të Kosovës; Serbian: Фудбалска репрезентација Косова, romanized: Fudbalska reprezentacija Kosova) represents Kosovo in men's international football. The team is controlled by the Football Federation of Kosovo, the governing body for football in Kosovo, and is under the jurisdiction of FIFA globally.
| Nickname(s) | Dardanët (Dardanians) |
|---|---|
| Association | Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK) |
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) |
| Head coach | vacant |
| Captain | Vedat Muriqi |
| Most caps | Amir Rrahmani (55) |
| Top scorer | Vedat Muriqi (26) |
| Home stadium | Fadil Vokrri Stadium |
| FIFA code | KOS[1] |
| FIFA ranking | |
| Current | 101 (21 December 2023)[2] |
| Highest | 101 (November 2023[3]) |
| Lowest | 190 (July–August 2016[3]) |
| First international | |
| Biggest win | |
| Biggest defeat | |
| Kosovo 0–6 Croatia (Shkodër, Albania; 6 October 2016) | |
History
Pre-independence
First ever match
On 29 November 1942, Kosovo for first time in its history played a friendly match as part of the celebrations for 30th Anniversary of the Independence of Albania against Tirana[a] and the match ended with a 2–0 away defeat and the starting line-up of that match was Mustafa Daci (GK), Ballanca, Ahmet Zaimi, Mazllum Xërxa, Veseli, Hajdar Hamza, Nebil Dylatahu, Ramadan Vraniqi, Dobrica Barbaroga,[b] Bajrami and Henci.[5][6][4]
Yugoslav era
"The reason of this friendly match is that we wanted to face with a team that has the same temperament and character as Albania national team."
—The reasoning of the then head coach of Yugoslavia, Rajko Mitić for the reason for organizing the Kosovo–Yugoslavia match.[4]
On 8 November 1967, Kosovo for first time as autonomous province of SFR Yugoslavia played a friendly match against Yugoslavia and the match ended with a 3–3 home draw and the starting line-up of that match was a mix between Albanian and Serbian players as Milosavlević, Stevanović, Mušikić, Abrashi, S. Džukić, V. Džukić, Brovina, Hatibi, Radović, Prekazi and Pindović, for Yugoslavia this match it was a pre-preparation before the UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying match against Albania.
As part of Yugoslavia national team
Yugoslav squads at international competitions often included players from Kosovo, such as Fadil Vokrri and Stevan Stojanović. Three other footballers from Kosovo, Fahrudin Jusufi, Milutin Šoškić and Vladimir Durković, were part of the Yugoslav team that won the gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics and silver medal at the 1960 European Nations' Cup.
After breakup of Yugoslavia
On 20 January 1993, The Football Federation of Kosovo signed a cooperation protocol with the Albanian Football Association and in the framework of this protocol it was decided to play on 14 February a friendly match between Albania and Kosovo, which was the first match of Kosovo following the breakup of Yugoslavia,[7] and this match ended with a 1–3 defeat and the starting line-up of that match was Ahmet Beselica (GK), Ardian Kozniku, Bardhec Seferi, Fadil Berisha, Gani Llapashtica, Genc Hoxha, Isa Sadriu, Kushtrim Munishi, Muharrem Sahiti, Sadullah Ajeti and Selajdin Jerliu.[8]
After Kosovo War
"I am very pleased with the team's performance even though we had predicted a stronger opponent. However, I want to emphasize that our players have been fantastic. The fact that we do not play many international matches may have inspired the players to give it their all this time."
—Opinion of the then coach Muharrem Sahiti after the match against Monaco.[9]
On 7 September 2002, Kosovo for first time after the Kosovo War played a friendly match against Albania and the match ended with a 0–1 home minimal defeat and the starting line-up of that match was Ahmet Beselica (GK), Ardian Kozniku, Arsim Abazi, Besnik Kollari, Fadil Ademi, Faruk Statovci, Ismet Munishi, Mehmet Dragusha, Sunaj Keqi, Xhevdet Llumnica and Zenun Selimi.[10]
One of the most important international matches was a 1–0 win over Saudi Arabia played on 15 June 2007. It was the first time that Kosovo played against a team that has taken part in the FIFA World Cup and the winning goal was scored by Kristian Nushi from the penalty kick on the 84th minute.[11] On 22 April 2006, Kosovo achieved their biggest win, defeating Monaco 7–1. If one included matches played before Kosovo became a FIFA member, this scoreline is their best result yet.[12]
After independence
First match
On 17 February 2010, for the first time since its declaration of independence, Kosovo played a friendly match against Albania (the match ended with a 2–3 home defeat for Kosovo). The starting line-up of that match was Kushtrim Mushica (GK), Anel Rashkaj, Dukagjin Gashi, Enis Zabërgja, Fisnik Papuçi, Ilir Nallbani, Liridon Kukaj, Robert Gjeraj, Shpëtim Hasani and Yll Hoxha. This match had a charity character as the profits gathered from this meeting went to those affected by floods in Shkodër.[13]
Efforts for internationalization
On 6 May 2008, after its declaration of independence from Serbia, Kosovo applied for FIFA membership. On 24 October 2008, Kosovo's application was discussed at the FIFA Congress in Zürich and Kosovo's bid was rejected. At the occasion, FIFA's determined Kosovo could not even play friendly matches against FIFA members' national teams.[14]
In September 2012, Albania international Lorik Cana, along with Swiss internationals Granit Xhaka, Valon Behrami and Xherdan Shaqiri, all of them with Kosovo Albanian origin, wrote a declaration to FIFA President Sepp Blatter, asking him to allow Kosovo to play friendly matches. The declaration was also signed by eight other Albanian footballers hailing from Kosovo as Ahmed Januzi, Alban Meha, Armend Dallku, Burim Kukeli, Etrit Berisha, Fatmire Bajramaj, Lorik Cana, Mërgim Mavraj and Samir Ujkani.[15] Some players, especially Kosovo Serbs as Milan Biševac and Miloš Krasić, continued to play for Serbia.[16][17]
Permission by FIFA to play friendlies
On 6 February 2013, FIFA decided to allow Kosovan club teams to play friendly games against clubs from countries whose national teams were members of FIFA.[20] However, it was stipulated that Kosovan clubs and teams could not display national symbols such as the Kosovan flag, emblem, etc., or play the Kosovan anthem.[20]
On 5 March 2014, the Kosovan football team was finally allowed by FIFA to play its first international friendly match, against Haiti; the match ended in a 0–0 draw.[21][22] Before the match, some players of Kosovo posed with guns at a shooting range, causing a stir in Serbia.[23] On the eve of the match, supporters of Kosovo burned the flag of Serbia.[24] This incident prompted the Football Association of Serbia to request that FIFA revoked Kosovo's right to play international friendlies.[25]
After the match against Haiti, six more matches were held in 2014, against Turkey, Senegal, Oman, Equatorial Guinea and Albania. The first win in these friendlies was against Oman, by 1–0,[26] while the biggest defeat a 1–6 against Turkey.[27]
Membership in UEFA and FIFA
In September 2015, at an UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Malta, the request from Kosovo for admission in UEFA was scheduled for deliberation in the next Ordinary Congress, to be held in Budapest.[28] On 3 May 2016, at the Ordinary Congress, Kosovo was accepted into UEFA after members voted 28–24 in favor of Kosovo.[29][30] Ten days later, Kosovo was accepted in FIFA during their 66th Congress in Mexico, with 141 votes in favour and 23 against.[31]
First tournament
Debut in World Cup qualification and nearly successful first Euro attempt
Kosovo began to make their debut in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, where Kosovo was assigned with Croatia, Finland, Iceland, Turkey and Ukraine.[32][33] The Kosovars created its first major surprise, holding host Finland to a 1–1 draw,[34] but it turned to be the lone point of Kosovo in the qualification, as the team lost the remaining games and finished last.
Following the failure to qualify for 2018 FIFA World Cup, Kosovo participated in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League D sharing group with Azerbaijan, Faroe Islands and Malta,[37][38] where the Kosovars topped their group undefeated to reach the country's first-ever play-offs in its attempt to qualify for UEFA Euro 2020.[39] After the successful Nations League, Kosovo entered the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying, where they shared group A with Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Montenegro and 2018 World Cup fourth place finisher England.[40] As the dark horse of the qualification, Kosovo however created a major phenomenon, managed to beat Bulgaria, Montenegro and especially, a shock home win over the Czechs to take the second place behind England, being 15 matches and on that time nearly two years without defeat winning 11 of these 15 matches. The game against England away even saw the Kosovars took an early lead in the surprise, even though they were unable to protect it and fell 3–5 away, ending the longest unbeaten run in the football history of Kosovo.[41] In the decisive match against the Czechs away, which Kosovo needed a win to directly qualify for the first time, Kosovo gained a shock lead, but failed to protect it again as they lost 1–2 and could only participate in the play-off,[42] but this remained to be Kosovo's greatest success up to date.
Setback
After successfully obtained a play-off position, Kosovo headed to the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C, being drawn with Greece, Moldova and Slovenia.[43] After impressive performance in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying, Kosovo was tipped favorably to promote to League B. Yet, Kosovo began the Nations League with a disappointing 1–1 away draw to Moldova,[44] before the team which was halved due to the absences of key players suffered a 1–2 home loss against Greece.[45]
In Kosovo's first ever competitive UEFA Euro play-offs, Kosovo was drawn against North Macedonia.[42] However, Kosovo was eliminated after losing 1–2 to the Macedonians in Skopje.[46] After the elimination in the play-off's semifinals, the Kosovo's setback continues and the year 2020 was ended six losses, two draws and a victory in the last match of the year against Moldova, a victory which secured the attitude even for another season in the League C of the UEFA Nations League.[47]
Team image
Nicknames
The Kosovo national football team has been known or nicknamed as the "Dardanët" ("Dardanians"). In addition to the official nickname, the Kosovo national team had different nicknames in different periods as:
- "Shqipëria B" ("Albania B") — During the period before 2016, the national teams of Kosovo and Albania have exchanged players with each other, which influenced these two teams to be nicknamed reserve (B) teams of each other, the Kosovo national team was nicknamed Albania B due to many players came to play for Kosovo as they had no space to play for Albania, but the same thing happened with the Albanian national team which was nicknamed Kosovo B due to of the large number of players of Kosovo Albanian descent in its composition.[48]
- "Ekipi i Kosovës" ("Team Kosovo") — The Kosovo national team during the 2009–10 period was introduced with the nickname that was used as an alternative name in order to avoid possible sanctions by UEFA and FIFA against Kosovo and the opponents that Kosovo played. After Kosovo was allowed on 6 February 2013 by FIFA to play against FIFA member associations in international friendlies,[20] this alternative name was no longer used.
- "Brazili i Ballkanit" ("Brazil of the Balkans") — The Kosovo national team was nicknamed the Brazil of the Balkans during their fifteen-match unbeaten run during the 2018–19 season.[36][49][50]
Kits and crest
The Kosovo kit has been mostly red and black before declaration of independence with few changes throughout the years and after the independence the kits are mostly blue and yellow. On 5 October 2016, Kosovo signed with Spanish sportswear company Kelme to a four-year contract and was the first official kit suppliers of Kosovo after membership in UEFA and FIFA.[51] On 23 February 2022, Kosovo signed with Italian sportswear company Erreà to a three-year contract for it to the kit suppliers of Kosovo.[52]
Kit sponsorship
| Kit supplier | Period | Contract | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Announcement | Duration | ||
| Legea | 2014 | March 2014 | |
| Puma | 2014 | May 2014 | |
| Legea | 2014 | September 2014 | |
| Umbro | 2015 | October 2015 | November 2015 |
| Puma | 2016 | June 2016 | |
| Kelme | 2016–2018 | 5 October 2016 | 2016–2020 (4 years) |
| Fourteen | 2018–2022 | 16 June 2018 | 2018–2022 (4 years) |
| Erreà | 2023–present | 23 February 2023 | 2023–2026 (3 years) |
Home stadium
Kosovo's home stadium is the Fadil Vokrri Stadium. The stadium capacity is 13,500, which makes it the second largest national stadium in Kosovo. Kosovo's previous national stadium was the Adem Jashari Olympic Stadium which is currently under renovation. Kosovo also used Loro Boriçi Stadium during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign,[53][54] and this happened after the two stadiums in Pristina and Mitrovica at that time were under renovation and do not meet UEFA standards.[55] On 12 July 2019, the construction of Kosovo National Stadium began,[56] and two days later the project of this stadium was presented which would have a capacity of 30,000 seats,[57] but after the presentation, the construction was suspended for political reasons related to the location.[58]
- As of 9 September 2023[59]
| Kosovo national football team home stadiums | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | Capacity | Location | Pld | W | D | L | Win % | First match | Last match | UEFA category | Ref | ||
| Opponent | Date | Opponent | Date | ||||||||||
| Fadil Vokrri Stadium | 13,500 | Pristina, Kosovo | 35 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 42.86 | Yugoslavia | 8 November 1967 | Israel | 12 November 2023 | [60] | |
| Loro Boriçi Stadium | 16,000 | Shkodër, Albania | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.00 | Croatia | 6 October 2016 | Ukraine | 6 October 2017 | [61] | |
| Adem Jashari Olympic Stadium | 18,500 | Mitrovica, Kosovo | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33.33 | Haiti | 5 March 2014 | Latvia | 13 November 2017 | [62] | |
Rivalries
Albania
This derby is otherwise known as Brotherly derby (Albanian: Derbi vëllazëror), also known as the Brotherly (Albanian: Vëllazërorja). The documented beginnings of this derby date back to the time during the World War II, respectively on 29 November 1942, where they played a friendly match as part of the celebrations for 30th Anniversary of the Independence of Albania and the match ended with a 2–0 win for Tirana,[a][5][6][4] this derby is back 50 years after the first match, when the Football Federation of Kosovo signed a cooperation protocol with the Albanian Football Association and in the framework of this protocol it was decided to play on 14 February a friendly match between these two national teams,[7] and this match ended with a 3–1 win for Albania.[8]
Media coverage
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2023
| 25 March Euro 2024 qualifying | Israel | 1–1 | Kosovo | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| 18:00 (20:00 UTC+3) | Peretz 56' | Report | Dasa 36' (o.g.) | Stadium: Bloomfield Stadium Attendance: 28,935 Referee: Willie Collum (Scotland) |
| 28 March Euro 2024 qualifying | Kosovo | 1–1 | Andorra | Pristina, Kosovo |
| 20:45 | Zhegrova 59' | Report | Rosas 61' | Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium Attendance: 12,600 Referee: Sebastian Gishamer (Austria) |
| 16 June Euro 2024 qualifying | Kosovo | 0–0 | Romania | Pristina, Kosovo |
| 20:45 | Report | Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium Attendance: 12,600 Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands) |
| 9 September Euro 2024 qualifying | Kosovo | 2–2 | Switzerland | Pristina, Kosovo |
| 20:45 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium Attendance: 12,700 Referee: Jakob Kehlet (Denmark) |
| 12 September Euro 2024 qualifying | Romania | 2–0 | Kosovo | Bucharest, Romania |
| 20:45 | Report | Stadium: Arena Națională Attendance: 29,982 Referee: Willy Delajod (France) |
| 12 October Euro 2024 qualifying | Andorra | 0–3 | Kosovo | Andorra la Vella, Andorra |
| 20:45 | Report | Stadium: Estadi Nacional Attendance: 1,207 Referee: Nick Walsh (Scotland) |
| 12 November[d] Euro 2024 qualifying | Kosovo | 1–0 | Israel | Pristina, Kosovo |
| 20:45 | Rashica 41' | Report | Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium Attendance: 5,245 Referee: Ivan Kružliak (Slovakia) |
| 18 November Euro 2024 qualifying | Switzerland | 1–1 | Kosovo | Basel, Switzerland |
| 20:45 |
| Report |
| Stadium: St. Jakob-Park Attendance: 33,000 Referee: António Nobre (Portugal) |
| 21 November Euro 2024 qualifying | Kosovo | 0–1 | Belarus | Pristina, Kosovo |
| 20:45 | Report |
| Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium Attendance: 5,026 Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria) |
Coaching staff
Current coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | vacant |
| Assistant coach(es) | |
| Afrim Tovërlani | |
| Arbnor Morina | |
| Fitness coach | Thomas Richard |
| Goalkeeping coach | Ahmet Beselica |
| Device manager | Sahit Salihi |
| Team manager | Bajram Shala |
| Sports director | Muharrem Sahiti |
| Samir Ujkani |
Manager history
| No. | Name | Period | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| 1 | Ajet Shosholli | 1993–2002 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
| 2 | Bylbyl Sokoli | 2002–2005 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
| 3 | Muharrem Sahiti | 2005–2006 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66.67 |
| 4 | Edmond Rugova | 2006–2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| 5 | Albert Bunjaki | 2009–2017 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 16.67 |
| C | Muharrem Sahiti | 2017–2018 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| 6 | Bernard Challandes → Muharrem Sahiti[e] | 2018–2021 2020 | 40 | 17 | 8 | 15 | 42.50 |
| C | Primož Gliha | 2021–2022 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 |
| 7 | Alain Giresse | 2022–2023 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 28.57 |
| 8 | Primož Gliha | 2023 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 33.33 |
Players
Current squad
- The following players were called up for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Israel, Switzerland and Belarus, on 12, 18, and 21 November 2023.[72]
- Caps and goals are correct as of 21 November 2023[update] after the match against Belarus.[73]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Visar Bekaj | 24 May 1997 | 7 | 0 | Hatayspor |
| 16 | GK | Kenan Haxhihamza | 28 December 1996 | 0 | 0 | Dukagjini |
| 15 | DF | Mërgim Vojvoda | 1 February 1995 | 53 | 2 | Torino |
| 3 | DF | Fidan Aliti (captain) | 3 October 1993 | 52 | 1 | Alanyaspor |
| 2 | DF | Florent Hadergjonaj | 31 July 1994 | 32 | 1 | Alanyaspor |
| 4 | DF | Lirim Kastrati | 2 February 1999 | 15 | 0 | Widzew Łódź |
| 13 | DF | Lumbardh Dellova | 1 January 1999 | 7 | 0 | Ballkani |
| 5 | DF | Ilir Krasniqi | 2 April 2000 | 5 | 0 | Llapi |
| 6 | DF | Kreshnik Hajrizi | 28 May 1999 | 4 | 0 | Lugano |
| 23 | MF | Bernard Berisha | 21 October 1991 | 26 | 1 | Akhmat Grozny |
| 8 | MF | Florent Muslija | 6 July 1998 | 23 | 1 | SC Freiburg |
| 19 | MF | Florian Loshaj | 13 August 1996 | 22 | 0 | İstanbulspor |
| 10 | MF | Zymer Bytyqi | 11 September 1996 | 22 | 1 | Antalyaspor |
| 20 | MF | Meriton Korenica | 15 December 1996 | 5 | 0 | Ballkani |
| 17 | MF | Qëndrim Zyba | 3 February 2001 | 4 | 0 | Ballkani |
| 22 | MF | Altin Zeqiri | 18 July 2000 | 3 | 1 | Çaykur Rizespor |
| 18 | MF | Alban Ajdini | 9 July 1999 | 1 | 0 | Stade Lausanne Ouchy |
| 11 | FW | Elbasan Rashani | 9 May 1993 | 27 | 5 | Clermont |
| 21 | FW | Ermal Krasniqi | 7 September 1998 | 4 | 0 | Rapid București |
| 14 | FW | Muhamet Hyseni | 6 February 2001 | 2 | 1 | Llapi |
Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months and are still available for selection.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Arijanet Muric | 7 November 1998 | 36 | 0 | Burnley | v. Switzerland, 18 November 2023INJ |
| DF | Leart Paqarada | 10 August 1994 | 30 | 1 | 1. FC Köln | v. Andorra, 12 October 2023INJ |
| DF | Betim Fazliji | 25 April 1999 | 22 | 0 | St. Gallen | v. Andorra, 12 October 2023 |
| DF | Ismajl Beka | 31 October 1999 | 1 | 0 | Luzern | v. Andorra, 12 October 2023INJ |
| DF | Amir Rrahmani | 24 February 1994 | 55 | 6 | Napoli | v. Romania, 12 September 2023INJ |
| DF | Ibrahim Drešević | 24 January 1997 | 25 | 0 | Machida Zelvia | v. Romania, 12 September 2023 |
| DF | Valon Zumberi | 24 November 2002 | 0 | 0 | Schaffhausen | v. Switzerland, 9 September 2023PRE / U21 |
| DF | Andi Hoti | 2 March 2003 | 0 | 0 | 1. FC Magdeburg | v. Switzerland, 9 September 2023PRE / U21 |
| DF | Mirlind Kryeziu | 26 January 1997 | 11 | 0 | Zürich | v. Belarus, 19 June 2023 |
| DF | Amar Gërxhaliu | 26 April 2002 | 0 | 0 | Antalyaspor | v. Belarus, 19 June 2023U21 |
| MF | Milot Rashica | 28 June 1996 | 53 | 11 | Beşiktaş | v. Switzerland, 18 November 2023INJ |
| MF | Edon Zhegrova | 31 March 1999 | 34 | 4 | Lille | v. Andorra, 12 October 2023INJ |
| MF | Valon Berisha | 7 February 1993 | 40 | 4 | LASK | v. Romania, 12 September 2023 |
| MF | Arbër Zeneli | 25 February 1995 | 33 | 9 | Unattached | v. Romania, 12 September 2023 |
| MF | Bersant Celina | 9 September 1996 | 37 | 2 | AIK | v. Belarus, 19 June 2023 |
| MF | Hekuran Kryeziu | 12 February 1993 | 29 | 0 | Unattached | v. Belarus, 19 June 2023 |
| MF | Donat Rrudhani | 2 May 1999 | 10 | 2 | Young Boys | v. Belarus, 19 June 2023 |
| MF | Blendi Idrizi | 2 May 1998 | 6 | 0 | Schalke 04 | v. Andorra, 28 March 2023 |
| FW | Vedat Muriqi | 24 April 1994 | 51 | 26 | Mallorca | v. Switzerland, 18 November 2023INJ |
| FW | Albion Rrahmani | 31 August 2000 | 2 | 0 | Rapid București | v. Andorra, 12 October 2023INJ |
| FW | Shkelqim Vladi | 21 September 2000 | 0 | 0 | Lugano | v. Andorra, 12 October 2023INJ |
| FW | Jetmir Topalli | 7 February 1998 | 6 | 0 | Manisa | v. Belarus, 19 June 2023 |
| ||||||
Records
Most appearances
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Pos. | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amir Rrahmani | 55 | 6 | DF | 2014–present |
| 2 | Milot Rashica | 53 | 11 | MF | 2016–present |
| Mërgim Vojvoda | 53 | 2 | DF | 2017–present | |
| 4 | Fidan Aliti | 52 | 1 | DF | 2017–present |
| 5 | Vedat Muriqi | 51 | 26 | FW | 2016–present |
| 6 | Valon Berisha | 40 | 4 | MF | 2016–present |
| 7 | Bersant Celina | 37 | 2 | MF | 2014–present |
| 8 | Samir Ujkani | 36 | 0 | GK | 2014–2022 |
| Arijanet Muric | 36 | 0 | GK | 2018–present | |
| 10 | Besar Halimi | 34 | 3 | MF | 2015–present |
| Edon Zhegrova | 34 | 4 | FW | 2018–present |
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vedat Muriqi | 26 | 51 | 0.51 | 2016–present |
| 2 | Milot Rashica | 11 | 53 | 0.21 | 2016–present |
| 3 | Arbër Zeneli | 9 | 33 | 0.27 | 2016–present |
| 4 | Amir Rrahmani | 6 | 55 | 0.11 | 2014–present |
| 5 | Elbasan Rashani | 5 | 27 | 0.19 | 2015–present |
| 6 | Benjamin Kololli | 4 | 24 | 0.17 | 2016–present |
| Edon Zhegrova | 4 | 34 | 0.12 | 2018–present | |
| Valon Berisha | 4 | 40 | 0.1 | 2016–present | |
| 9 | Albert Bunjaku | 3 | 6 | 0.5 | 2014–2016 |
| Atdhe Nuhiu | 3 | 19 | 0.16 | 2017–2020 | |
| Besar Halimi | 3 | 34 | 0.09 | 2015–2021 |
Captains
- As of 21 November 2023[76]
| Rank | Pos. | Player | As captain | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | Caps | Career | Caps | |||
| 1 | GK | Samir Ujkani | 2015–2022 | 30 | 2014–2022 | 36 |
| DF | Amir Rrahmani | 2019–present | 30 | 2014–present | 55 | |
| 3 | DF | Fidan Aliti | 2020–present | 3 | 2017–present | 52 |
| MF | Valon Berisha | 2018–present | 3 | 2016–present | 40 | |
| MF | Anel Rashkaj | 2014 | 3 | 2014–2020 | 14 | |
| 6 | FW | Vedat Muriqi | 2022–present | 2 | 2016–present | 51 |
| MF | Herolind Shala | 2019–2020 | 2 | 2016–2021 | 27 | |
| GK | Visar Bekaj | 2021–present | 2 | 2015–present | 7 | |
| 9 | MF | Hekuran Kryeziu | 2019–present | 1 | 2015–present | 30 |
| MF | Florian Loshaj | 2021–present | 1 | 2020–present | 22 | |
| DF | Lirim R. Kastrati | 2022–present | 1 | 2017–present | 15 | |
| MF | Enis Alushi | 2014 | 1 | 2014–2017 | 10 | |
| MF | Besnik Hasi | 2007 | 1 | 2007 | 1 | |
| MF | Genc Hoxha | 1993 | 1 | 1993 | 1 | |
Competitive record
FIFA World Cup
On 9 June 2016, the UEFA Emergency Panel decided that Kosovo would join Croatia, Finland, Iceland, Turkey and Ukraine in Group I, and also decided that Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia should not play against Kosovo for security reasons.[32][33] On 5 September 2016, Kosovo made its debut in FIFA World Cup qualification with a 1–1 away draw against Finland, with Kosovo's equalizing goal being scored by newcomer Valon Berisha from a penalty kick in the 60th minute.[34] On 2 September 2021, Kosovo achieved their first win in the FIFA World Cup qualifications a 1–0 away win against Georgia.[77]
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1930 to 1938 | Part of Kingdom of Yugoslavia | Part of Kingdom of Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||
| 1950 to 1990 | Part of SFR Yugoslavia | Part of SFR Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||
| 1994 to 2002 | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Part of Serbia and Montenegro | Part of Serbia and Montenegro | |||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||||
| 2014 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Did not qualify | 6th | 10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 24 | |||||||||
| 2022 | 5th | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 15 | ||||||||||
| 2026 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||
| 2030[f] | |||||||||||||||||
| 2034 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | — | 0/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2/2 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 8 | 39 | |
- Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks; correct as of 14 November 2021 after the match against Greece.[79]
UEFA European Championship
On 2 December 2018, in Dublin, it was decided that Kosovo should be part in Group A of the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying, together with Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Montenegro and 2018 World Cup fourth place finisher England.[40] On 25 March 2019, Kosovo made their debut on UEFA European Championship qualifying with a 1–1 home draw against Bulgaria and the draw goal was scored by Arbër Zeneli on the 61st minute.[80] On 11 June 2019, Kosovo won their first ever qualifying match for a major tournament by defeating Bulgaria 3–2.[81]
| UEFA European Championship record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1960 to 1992 | Part of SFR Yugoslavia | Part of SFR Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||
| 1996 to 2000 | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Part of Serbia and Montenegro | Part of Serbia and Montenegro | |||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Part of Serbia | Part of Serbia | |||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Not a UEFA member | Not a UEFA member | |||||||||||||||
| 2016 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Did not qualify | 3rd (PO) | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 18 | |||||||||
| 2024 | 5th | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 2028 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||
| 2032 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | — | 0/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2/2 | 19 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 24 | 28 | |
- Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out; correct as of 21 November 2023 after match against Belarus.[82]
UEFA Nations League
| Kosovo's Nations League record | |
|---|---|
| First match | Azerbaijan 0–0 Kosovo (Baku, Azerbaijan; 7 September 2018) |
| Biggest win | Malta 0–5 Kosovo (Ta' Qali, Malta; 17 November 2018) |
| Biggest defeat | |
| Best result | 39th place in 2022–23 |
| Worst result | 44th place in 2020–21 |
On 24 January 2018, in Lausanne, it was decided that Kosovo should be part of League D in Group 3 of the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League, together with Azerbaijan, Faroe Islands and Malta.[37][38] On 7 September 2018, Kosovo made their debut in the UEFA Nations League with a 0–0 away draw against Azerbaijan.[83] On 10 September 2018, Kosovo achieved their first win in the UEFA Nations League, which was also the team's first-ever competitive win, a 2–0 home win against the Faroe Islands.[84] Kosovo finished the league unbeaten (with four wins and two draws) and will be promoted to the next tier (C league) for the next edition.[39]
| UEFA Nations League record | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League phase | Finals | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | LG | Grp | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | RK | Year | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | |
| 2018–19 | D | 3 | 1st | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 42nd | 2019 | Did not qualify | |||||||||
| 2020–21 | C | 3 | 3rd | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 44th | 2021 | ||||||||||
| 2022–23 | C | 2 | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 8 | 39th | 2023 | ||||||||||
| 2024–25 | C | To be determined | 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 18 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 30 | 16 | 39th | Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||||||
- Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out; correct as of 27 September 2022 after match against Cyprus.[85]
Non-FIFA Tournament
Kosovo for first time after the Kosovo War participated in a tournament held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Turkish Football Association. Kosovo lost against the host with result 1–0 and won against Sàpmi with result 4–1.[86]
| Year | Round | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KTFF 50th Anniversary Cup | Runners-up | 2nd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | Squad |
| Total | Runners-up | 1/1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — |
FIFA ranking history
- As of 29 October 2023[3]
Best ranking Worst ranking Best mover Worst mover
| Rank | Year | Pld | W | D | L | Win % | Ranking | Move | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best | Worst | Best (+) | Worst (−) | ||||||||
| 101 | 2023 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 20.00 | 101 | 111 | 30 (November) | 21 (September) | |
| 107 | 2022 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 40.00 | 106 | 109 | 2 (February) | 1 (October) | |
| 111 | 2021 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 35.71 | 109 | 120 | 6 (September) | 4 (October) | |
| 117 | 2020 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 11.11 | 115 | 117 | 0 (February) | 1 (October) | |
| 115 | 2019 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 40.00 | 114 | 130 | 6 (June) | 1 (November) | |
| 131 | 2018 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 77.78 | 131 | 178 | 24 (August) | 1 (January) | |
| 177 | 2017 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 14.29 | 164 | 184 | 9 (November) | 6 (April) | |
| 165 | 2016 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20.00 | 164 | 190 | 22 (September) | 190 (July) | |
Head-to-head record
| Opponent | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–present | |||||||||
| Albania | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 11 | −2 | 16.67 | H2H results[6][87][88] |
| Andorra | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 50.00 | H2H results |
| Armenia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +0 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Azerbaijan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 50.00 | H2H results |
| Bulgaria | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 50.00 | H2H results |
| Belarus | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Burkina Faso | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 100.00 | H2H results |
| Croatia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Cyprus | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 100.00 | H2H results |
| Czech Republic | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | +0 | 50.00 | H2H results |
| Denmark | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +0 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| England | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Equatorial Guinea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 100.00 | H2H results |
| Faroe Islands | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 50.00 | H2H results |
| Finland | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Gambia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 | H2H results |
| Georgia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | +0 | 50.00 | H2H results |
| Gibraltar | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 | H2H results |
| Greece | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Guinea | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Haiti | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Iceland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Israel | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 50.00 | H2H results |
| Jordan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Latvia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 100.00 | H2H results |
| Lithuania | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 100.00 | H2H results |
| Madagascar | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 | H2H results |
| Malta | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 100.00 | H2H results |
| Moldova | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 50.00 | H2H results |
| Monaco | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 100.00 | H2H results |
| Montenegro | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 50.00 | H2H results |
| North Macedonia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Northern Ireland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | +0 | 50.00 | H2H results |
| Northern Cyprus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Oman | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 | H2H results |
| Romania | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| San Marino | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 100.00 | H2H results |
| Sápmi | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 100.00 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 | H2H results |
| Senegal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Slovenia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Spain | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Sweden | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Switzerland | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | +0 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| Turkey | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 | −10 | 0.00 | H2H results H2H results* |
| Ukraine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0.00 | H2H results |
| 46 countries | 87 | 30 | 20 | 37 | 120 | 121 | −1 | 34.48 | All H2H results |
See also
Men's
Women's
Notes and references
Notes
- ^ a b The alternative name of the Albania national team that was used during this match.[4]
- ^ Dobrica Barbaroga was the Albanianized full name of Dobrica Barbarogić by the media of that time, which seems to be expression of peaceful coexistence with national minorities even in Kosovo at that time.[5]
- ^ a b c Due to the country's involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Belarus are required to play their home matches at neutral venues and behind closed doors until further notice.[65]
- ^ The Kosovo v Israel match, originally scheduled to be played on 15 October 2023, was postponed to 12 November 2023 due to the Israel–Hamas war.[66][67]
- ^ On 11 November 2020, Bernard Challandes tested positive with COVID-19 and Muharrem Sahiti was named as his replacement for the November 2020 matches,[68] against Albania (2–1 away defeat),[69] Slovenia (2–1 away defeat),[70] and Moldova (1–0 home win).[71]
- ^ Additional matches are scheduled to be played in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the first world cup, however they are not considered to be official hosts of the tournament.[78]
References
- ^ "Football Federation of Kosovo". Fédération Internationale de Football Association. from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ a