Albania national football team

Men's national football team representing Albania From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Albania national football team (Albanian: Kombëtarja shqiptare e futbollit) represents Albania in men's international football. It is governed by the Albanian Football Federation (FSHF), the governing body for football in Albania. It is a member of UEFA in Europe and FIFA in global competitions. The team's colours reference two national symbols: the double-headed eagle and the country's bicolor. Their supporters are colloquially referred to as the Tifozat Kuq e Zi (Red and Black Fans).

Nickname(s)Kuqezinjtë (The Red and Blacks)
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachRolando Maran
Quick facts Nickname(s), Association ...
Albania
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Kuqezinjtë (The Red and Blacks)
AssociationFederata Shqiptare e Futbollit (FSHF)
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachRolando Maran
CaptainBerat Gjimshiti
Most capsElseid Hysaj (100)
Top scorerErjon Bogdani (18)
Home stadiumArena Kombëtare
FIFA codeALB
First colours
Second colours
Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current 66 Decrease 2 (11 June 2026)[1]
Highest22 (August 2015[2])
Lowest124 (August 1997[3])
First international
 Albania 2–3 Yugoslavia 
(Tirana, Albania; 7 October 1946)
Biggest win
 Albania 5–0 Vietnam 
(Bastia Umbra, Italy; 12 February 2003)
 Albania 6–1 Cyprus 
(Tirana, Albania; 12 August 2009)
 Albania 5–0 San Marino 
(Elbasan, Albania; 8 September 2021)
Biggest defeat
 Hungary 12–0 Albania 
(Budapest, Hungary; 24 September 1950)
European Championship
Appearances2 (first in 2016)
Best resultGroup stage (2016, 2024)
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Since its inception as a team, Albania first collected a major tournament trophy in 1946 with the Balkan Cup, followed by the Malta International Tournament (2000). At the FIFA World Cup, Albania has campaigned to qualify since their entry into FIFA in 1932. The team has reached the group stage of UEFA European Championship twice (2016, 2024). They have competed in the UEFA Nations League since 2018.

Upon its admission into FIFA ranked 124th, Albania ascended to their peak World Ranking of 22nd in 2015. The country plays their home games in the Arena Kombëtare in their capital city, Tirana.

History

20th century

Loro Boriçi captained the national team in winning the 1946 Balkan Cup.

Although it never played any matches, the Albania national football team existed before the Albanian Football Association (Federata Shqiptare e Futbollit; FSHF) was created on 6 June 1930. Albania joined FIFA during a congress held between 12 and 16 June. Albania was invited to play in the 1934 World Cup, but did not take part due to logistical problems.[4] Albania played its first international match against Yugoslavia in 1946, which ended in a 3–2 home defeat at Qemal Stafa Stadium.[5] In 1946, Albania also participated for the first time in the Balkan Cup in which Albania won by beating Romania 1–0 in the final.[6] In 1954, Albania was one of the founding members of UEFA. Albania waited until 1962 to compete for the first time in a UEFA Euro Cup competition, and the reason being Albania got past the first leg against Greece, for political reasons forfeited the game winning twice 0-3 and 3-0 and in Total 6–0 on Aggregate, to qualify so for the first and only time so far, for the Round of 16 in a UEFA competition.[7][8][9] At the end of the tournament Albania ranked 9th in Europe.[10][11][12] Albania participated at the 1964 Summer Olympics in the Men's qualification tournament, and closely lost both matches against Bulgaria in the preliminary round.[13] They would participate for the second and last time at the 1972 Summer Olympics in which they faced Romania at the European qualifiers in the playoffs. Albania would lose both matches narrowly, 2–1 in the first leg and at home in the second leg.[14][15]

Albanian stamp honouring Euro 1984.

Albania participated for the first time in a qualifying phase of a World Cup in 1966. The team was drawn in the Group 5, finishing in the last position with only one point from six matches. In the qualifiers of UEFA Euro 1968, Albania drew 0–0 against West Germany, denying the Germans a chance to participate in the finals.[16][17] Albania did not participate in World Cup 1970, UEFA Euro 1976, World Cup 1978 and UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying for unknown political reasons.

After six years without playing any international matches, Albania entered the 1982 World Cup, managing to finish second-to-last in the qualifying stages. For qualifying for the World Cup four years later, Albania beat Belgium in Tirana 2–0 as well as drawing Poland in Mielec 2–2.

21st century

In the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, Albania only beat Greece. For the Euros two years later, Albania beat Russia 3–1 at Loro Boriçi Stadium.[18] This match was also the debut of the German coach Hans-Peter Briegel who led Albania to an undefeated run in home matches. Despite good results, Albania finished in the penultimate spot with only eight points. Albania defeated Greece 2–1 two months after they won Euro 2004.[19]

In Euro 2008 qualifying, Albania defeated Luxembourg twice, and also drew 2–2 with Belarus and 0–0 away with Bulgaria. Albania's Euro campaign ended with a 6–1 loss away to Romania which resulted in the resignation of coach Otto Barić and his assistant.[20] In December 2007, Arie Haan was named Albania's head coach by signing a two-year contract for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. Albania won only one match, with seven points from ten matches and Haan was replaced by Josip Kuže in May 2009 following the end of the campaign.[21] However, Kuže failed to lead Albania to better results as the team ended the Euro 2012 qualifying with nine points from ten matches. With Kuže in charge, Albania recorded its second biggest win in history by defeating Cyprus 6–1 at home.[22] Josip Kuže parted ways with Albania after three and a half years, and in December 2011, Italian coach Gianni de Biasi replaced him.[23] Albania was, at one point, second in the 2014 World Cup qualifying group, but then lost to Slovenia and Iceland, as well as at home against Switzerland, and drawing in Cyprus.[24]

Albania squad wearing the visitors' uniform, 2016.

Albania began UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group I with an emphatic 1–0 away win against Portugal,[25][26] followed by a 1–1 draw against Denmark at the newly renovated Elbasan Arena.[27] They then beat Serbia 3–0 in a match full of incidents. They finally qualified for a UEFA European Championship after beating Armenia in Yerevan 0–3, its first appearance in the country's history at a major men's football tournament.[28]

More information Pos, Pld ...
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Portugal 8 7 0 1 11 5 +6 21 Qualify for final tournament
2  Albania 8 4 2 2 10 5 +5 14
3  Denmark 8 3 3 2 8 5 +3 12 Advance to play-offs
4  Serbia[a] 8 2 1 5 8 13 5 4
5  Armenia 8 0 2 6 5 14 9 2
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Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. The Serbia v Albania match was awarded as a 3–0 win to Albania, and Serbia were also deducted three points, after the match was abandoned at 0–0 because home fans invaded the pitch and attacked Albania players when a drone carried a pro-Albanian flag over the stadium.

In the tournament itself, Albania lost 1–0 to Switzerland to an early header in the 5th Minute from Fabian Schär despite being one man down to a Red Card for Lorik Cana Albania held its ground as they came close to an equalizer as Shkëlzen Gashi as he missed an sitter in front of goalie Yann Sommer.[29][30] In the following match they lost 2–0 to the hosts France despite an close fought match being able to defend against the favourites until the last minutes conceding two goals from Dimitri Payet and Griezmann.[31][32] While they beat in the third Group match Romania 1–0 by a header scored from Armando Sadiku before halftime, securing Albania's first ever win in a UEFA European Championship.[33][34] The team finished last among the third-placed teams and were eliminated in the group stage.[35]

In 2018 World Cup qualification, Albania was drawn in a group with Spain, Italy, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, and Israel. Despite the difficult draw, they placed third in the group, their best result in history without qualifying for the final tournament. During this time, manager Gianni De Biasi resigned after disputes with the FSHF and was replaced by Christian Panucci.[36] Albania played poorly in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League, winning only once against Israel and losing the return leg as well as both matches against Scotland.[37] Panucci would be sacked after a 2–0 defeat to Turkey in the opening match of UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying.[38] Edoardo Reja replaced Panucci as Albania faced home and away series against both 2018 FIFA World Cup champions France and Iceland as well as the return leg against Turkey.[39] In the end, Albania placed fourth in the group, failing to qualify.[40]

After narrowly missing out on qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, finishing third in Group I,[41] Albania were drawn in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group E alongside the Czech Republic, Poland, Faroe Islands and Moldova.[42] Albania went unbeaten in the qualifying campaign and secured qualification for the UEFA Euro 2024, marking their second appearance at a UEFA European Championship.[43]

At UEFA Euro 2024,[44] Albania were drawn into a "group of death" alongside Spain, Italy and Croatia, all of whom are European and World Cup medalists. After losses to Spain and Italy and a 2–2 draw against Croatia, Albania finished bottom of the group and were eliminated in the group stage.[45]

Albania competed in the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B, where they finished bottom of their group and were relegated to League C.[46] They subsequently participated in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, finishing second in Group K with four wins without conceding, two draws, and two defeats against England, thereby securing qualification to the play-off stage for the first time in their history.[47] In the play-off, Albania was eliminated following a 2–1 defeat to Poland, despite initially taking the lead.[48]

Team image

Nicknames

The team's nickname is commonly known as "Kuqezinjtë" ("The Red and Blacks") During the period before 2016, the national teams of Albania and Kosovo exchanged players with each other due to the complexities of descent brought on by Kosovo's independence, leading supporters to refer to each team as the other team's "reserve" side.[49]

Kits

Albania's uniform colors are red and black, mirroring the nation's flag. The team typically wears red shirts, black shorts and red socks. Away kits are usually all-white, with red and black trimming.

Over the years, the national team has sported kit wear from renowned sportswear brands such as Legea, Puma, Nike and Adidas, to name a few. The partnership with Puma began in 1996 and lasted nine years. Nike outfitted the team during the UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. A collaboration with Adidas followed, in a contract signing which allowed it to manufacture kits for the Euro 2012 qualifiers, as well as the 2014 World Cup and the Euro 2016 qualifiers.[citation needed]

On 24 March 2016, the Albanian Football Federation unveiled a New Jersey for the national team players, set to be worn during the forthcoming UEFA Euro 2016 tournament, hosted that year in France. Manufactured by Macron, the jersey redesign, labelled "Triumfi," was conceptualised by Tirana-based studio PIK Creative.[50][51]

 Kit wear suppliers
 
         
Germany
Adidas
(1988)
England
Umbro
(1992–93)
Germany
Uhlsport
(1994–95)
Germany
Puma
(1996–04)
England
Umbro
(2004–07)
United States
Nike
(2008–10)
Italy
Legea
(2010–12)
Germany
Adidas
(2012–16)
Italy
Macron
(2016–27)

Home stadium

Arena Kombëtare is the home ground of the national team.

For most of Albania's history, the home stadium was Qemal Stafa Stadium in Tirana. Construction started in April 1939 during the Italy regime, lasted for three years but stopped briefly in August 1943 following the fall of fascist regime.[52] The stadium had an Olympic Stadium shape, as idealised by Gherardo Bosio, a young fascist architect from Florence.[53] The stadium's initial capacity was 15,000, due to the fact that Tirana at that time had only 60,000 inhabitants.[53] It was named after Qemal Stafa, a Hero of Albania in World War II.[54] The stadium was inaugurated officially on 7 October 1946 when Albania played its first competitive match against Yugoslavia.[55] Ever since then, a further 130 international matches took place in the stadium, with the last being a friendly against Georgia in November 2015.[56] In 2005, Cecilia de Marco and Elisabetta Lorusso, two young Italian students, called the stadium as "one of the strongest symbols of Italian impact in Albania".[52] In November 2013, Qemal Stafa Stadium was shut down by FIFA for not fulfilling international standards.[57] The stadium's demolition started in June 2016, and it was announced that it would be replaced by Arena Kombëtare.[58]

Albania has played home matches at other venues; outside Tirana, the national team has played matches in Flamurtari Stadium in Vlorë,[59] Tomori Stadium in Berat,[60] Niko Dovana Stadium in Durrës,[61] Loro Boriçi Stadium in Shkodër[62] and Elbasan Arena in Elbasan.[63] In February 2014, renovations for Elbasan Arena (at the time Ruzhdi Bizhuta Stadium) started.[64] The work lasted for seven months, and the stadium was inaugurated on 9 October when Albania played a friendly match against KF Elbasani's under-19 squad; Albania won the match 17–0.[65] The official inauguration occurred two days later in the Euro 2016 qualifying match against Denmark.[66]

The first international match at Loro Boriçi Stadium was played on 29 March 2003 against Russia, with Albania winning 3–1.[18] In October 2014, Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, promised the reconstruction of the stadium.[67] The stadium's construction started in May 2015 and finished in August 2016.[68] In 2016–17, the stadium served temporary as the home of Kosovo national team, due to stadiums in Mitrovica and Pristina being renovated and not meeting UEFA standards.[69]

Rivalries

Kosovo

This derby is otherwise known as Brotherly derby (Albanian: Derbi vëllazëror), or the Brotherly (Albanian: Vëllazërorja). The documented beginnings of this derby date back to World War II, specifically on 29 November 1942, where they played a friendly match as part of the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the independence of Albania. The match ended with a 2–0 win for Tirana.[a][71][72]

Serbia

This football rivalry between Albania and Serbia is mainly due to historical tensions between the two countries. It has been described as "one of the fiercest rivalries in the world". During the Euro 2016 qualifying phase, with Portugal, Denmark and Armenia, the Serbian crowd were chanting "kill, kill the Albanians"[73] and were throwing flares at the Albanian players, after which there was a clash between the two teams.[74]

Both countries were drawn in the same group for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, with England, Latvia and Andorra.

Supporters

A choreography of Tifozat Kuq e Zi in the national team's first match at Elbasan Arena against Denmark in October 2014

Tifozat Kuq e Zi (Red and Black Fans) is a non-profit football supporters' association for the Albania national football team and various national team sportive activities.[75][76] It was founded on 25 December 2003.[75] In cooperation with FSHF, it organises trips for football fans to visit games, and develops and sells merchandise to support itself and fund sporting related projects.

Tifozat Kuq e Zi stands firm in the political view that Albanians should share only one national team and have continuous aspirations to join in one state (Një Komb, Një Kombëtare), i.e. unification of Albania, Kosovo, etc.[77][78] In this sense, TKZ is joined by different supporters' associations throughout Albanian-speaking regions mainly in Kosovo (Shqiponjat of Peja, Kuqezinjet e Jakoves of Gjakova, Plisat of Prishtina, Torcida of Mitrovica, etc.), North Macedonia (Ballistët of Tetovë, Ilirët of Kumanovë, Shvercerat of Shkupi, etc.) and in Albania itself (Ultras Guerrils of Partizani Tirana, Tirona Fanatics of KF Tirana, Vllaznit Ultras of Vllaznia Shkodër, Ujqërit e Deborës of Skënderbeu Korçë, Shqiponjat of KF Besa Pejë and many other different Albanian fans).[75]

Albanian and Arbëreshë fans in Palermo, for the Italy-Albania 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier match on 24 March 2017

The ongoing dispute between the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the Football Federation of Albania has been seen as a political intrusion by FIFA and UEFA, which led to the banning of Albania from international sportive activities. FSHF president Armand Duka is highly unwanted by the TKZ who have numerously asked for his resignation believing he is responsible for internal corruption in the Albanian Football Federation.[79][80][81][82]

The TKZ have been praised by many different football players and managers, whom were not just Albanian. One example is with Switzerland's former coach, Ottmar Hitzfeld, who was astonished by how many Albanian fans turned up and how enthusiastic they were in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Switzerland and Albania where the Swiss won 2–0 thanks to goals from Gökhan Inler and Kosovo-born Xherdan Shaqiri. He did not believe that there were 12,000 Albanian fans in the stands which was more than how many Swiss fans turned up for the game. He stated that "Albanian fans are fantastic and the most passionate fans I have ever seen".[83] During that campaign, TKZ attended all games Albania played apart from a match against Cyprus in Nicosia and were also large in numbers in the away games to Slovenia in Maribor and Norway in Oslo.[84][85][86]

Media coverage

More information Broadcaster, Television channel ...
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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

2025

4 September Friendly Gibraltar  0–1  Albania Europa Point, Gibraltar
18:00 Report Asani 69' (pen.) Stadium: Europa Sports Park
Referee: Aaron Wyn Jones (Wales)
9 September 2026 World Cup qualification Albania  1–0  Latvia Tirana, Albania
20:45 Asllani 25' (pen.) Report Stadium: Arena Kombëtare
Attendance: 16,568
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak (Poland)
11 October 2026 World Cup qualification Serbia  0–1  Albania Leskovac, Serbia
20:45 Report Manaj 45+1' Stadium: Dubočica Stadium
Attendance: 4,320
Referee: István Kovács (Romania)
14 October Friendly Albania  4–2  Jordan Tirana, Albania
19:00 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Arena Kombëtare
Attendance: 9,265
Referee: Lukas Fähndrich (Switzerland)
13 November 2026 World Cup qualification Andorra  0–1  Albania Encamp, Andorra
20:45 Report
Stadium: Estadi de la FAF
Attendance: 2,225
Referee: Horațiu Feșnic (Romania)
16 November 2026 World Cup qualification Albania  0–2  England Tirana, Albania
18:00 Report
Stadium: Arena Kombëtare
Attendance: 21,459
Referee: Marco Guida (Italy)

2026

26 March 2026 World Cup qualification play-offs Poland  2–1  Albania Warsaw, Poland
20:45 UTC+1 Report Hoxha 42' Stadium: Stadion Narodowy
Attendance: 56,412
Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
31 March Friendly Ukraine  1–0  Albania Valencia, Spain[b]
20:45 Hutsulyak 46' Report Stadium: Estadio Ciutat de València[b]
Attendance: 7,100
Referee: Juan Martínez Munuera (Spain)
3 June Friendly Albania  0–1  Israel Tirana, Albania
20:00 Report Gloukh 73' Stadium: Arena Kombëtare
Attendance: 6,600
Referee: Miloš Savović (Montenegro)
6 June Friendly Albania  0–1  Luxembourg Tirana, Albania
20:00 UTC+2 Report
Stadium: Arena Kombëtare
Attendance: 5,142
Referee: Genc Nuza (Kosovo)
26 September 2026–27 Nations League Albania  v  Belarus Tirana, Albania
20:45 Report Stadium: Arena Kombëtare
12 November 2026–27 Nations League Albania  v  Finland Tirana, Albania
20:45 Report Stadium: Arena Kombëtare
15 November 2026–27 Nations League Belarus  v  Albania TBD, TBD[c]
18:00 (20:00 UTC+3) Report Stadium: TBD[c]
Attendance: 0[c]

Coaching staff

As of 22 March 2026[90]
Rolando Maran, the current head coach of Albania national football team.
More information Position, Name ...
Position Name
Head coach Italy Rolando Maran
Assistant coach(es) Italy Christian Maraner
Albania Ervin Bulku
Goalkeeping coach Albania Alfred Osmani
Athletic coach Albania Iris Selimi
Video analyst Albania Endi Çuçi
First-team doctor Italy Gianluca Stesina
Team manager Albania Dritan Babamusta
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Players

Current squad

More information No., Pos. ...
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Alen Sherri (1997-12-15) 15 December 1997 (age 28) 3 0 Italian Football Federation Cagliari
12 1GK Pano Qirko (1999-06-26) 26 June 1999 (age 26) 0 0 Albanian Football Federation Partizani
23 1GK Simon Simoni (2004-07-14) 14 July 2004 (age 21) 1 0 German Football Association 1. FC Kaiserslautern

2 2DF Andi Hadroj (1999-02-22) 22 February 1999 (age 27) 4 0 Ukrainian Association of Football Polissya Zhytomyr
3 2DF Mario Mitaj (2003-08-06) 6 August 2003 (age 22) 33 0 Saudi Arabian Football Federation Al-Ittihad
4 2DF Elseid Hysaj (Captain) (1994-02-02) 2 February 1994 (age 32) 100 2 Italian Football Federation Lazio
5 2DF Arlind Ajeti (1993-09-25) 25 September 1993 (age 32) 41 1 Turkish Football Federation Bodrum
6 2DF Berat Gjimshiti (Vice-captain) (1993-02-19) 19 February 1993 (age 33) 73 1 Italian Football Federation Atalanta
13 2DF Naser Aliji (1993-12-27) 27 December 1993 (age 32) 19 0 Albanian Football Federation Dinamo City
15 2DF Klisman Cake (1999-05-02) 2 May 1999 (age 27) 1 0 Russian Football Union Akhmat Grozny
18 2DF Stavro Pilo (2000-12-10) 10 December 2000 (age 25) 2 0 Hellenic Football Federation AEK Athens
26 2DF Bujar Pllana (2001-10-29) 29 October 2001 (age 24) 2 0 Polish Football Association Lechia Gdańsk

7 3MF Adrion Pajaziti (2002-11-16) 16 November 2002 (age 23) 8 0 Croatian Football Federation Hajduk Split
8 3MF Kristjan Asllani (2002-03-09) 9 March 2002 (age 24) 42 5 Turkish Football Federation Beşiktaş
10 3MF Nedim Bajrami (1999-02-28) 28 February 1999 (age 27) 45 7 Scottish Football Association Rangers
14 3MF Qazim Laçi (1996-01-19) 19 January 1996 (age 30) 48 4 Turkish Football Federation Çaykur Rizespor
16 3MF Juljan Shehu (1998-09-06) 6 September 1998 (age 27) 11 0 Polish Football Association Widzew Łódź
20 3MF Ylber Ramadani (1996-04-12) 12 April 1996 (age 30) 50 1 Italian Football Federation Lecce
21 3MF Arbër Hoxha (1998-10-06) 6 October 1998 (age 27) 25 2 Croatian Football Federation Dinamo Zagreb
22 3MF Luis Hasa (2004-01-06) 6 January 2004 (age 22) 1 0 Italian Football Federation Carrarese
24 3MF Anis Mehmeti (2001-01-09) 9 January 2001 (age 25) 5 0 The Football Association Ipswich Town

9 4FW Armando Broja (2001-09-10) 10 September 2001 (age 24) 37 6 The Football Association Burnley
11 4FW Myrto Uzuni (1995-05-31) 31 May 1995 (age 31) 48 6 United States Soccer Federation Austin FC
17 4FW Taulant Seferi (1996-11-15) 15 November 1996 (age 29) 27 3 Turkish Football Federation Bodrum
19 4FW Mirlind Daku (1998-01-01) 1 January 1998 (age 28) 17 1 Russian Football Union Rubin Kazan
25 4FW Cristian Shpendi (2003-05-19) 19 May 2003 (age 23) 3 0 Italian Football Federation Cesena
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Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up for the team within the last twelve months and are still available and eligible for selection.

More information Pos., Player ...
Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Thomas Strakosha (1995-03-19) 19 March 1995 (age 31) 47 0 Greece AEK Athens v.  Ukraine, 31 March 2026INJ
GK Elhan Kastrati (1997-02-02) 2 February 1997 (age 29) 3 0 Germany Eintracht Braunschweig v.  Ukraine, 31 March 2026
GK Mario Dajsinani (1998-12-23) 23 December 1998 (age 27) 3 0 Albania Egnatia v.  Ukraine, 31 March 2026
GK Klevi Totoshi (2005-05-21) 21 May 2005 (age 21) 0 0 Albania AF Elbasani v.  Poland, 26 March 2026TRA

DF Ardian Ismajli (1996-09-30) 30 September 1996 (age 29) 47 3 Italy Torino v.  Israel, 3 June 2026INJ
DF Iván Balliu (1992-01-01) 1 January 1992 (age 34) 24 0 Spain Rayo Vallecano v.  Ukraine, 31 March 2026
DF Artan Jazxhi (2001-07-06) 6 July 2001 (age 24) 0 0 Albania Teuta v.  Poland, 26 March 2026TRA
DF Ysni Ismaili (2002-03-13) 13 March 2002 (age 24) 0 0 Albania Dinamo City v.  Poland, 26 March 2026TRA
DF Gledjan Pusi (2002-03-25) 25 March 2002 (age 24) 0 0 Albania Vllaznia v.  Poland, 26 March 2026TRA
DF Elmando Gjini (2002-08-28) 28 August 2002 (age 23) 0 0 Albania Vllaznia v.  Poland, 26 March 2026TRA
DF Enea Mihaj (1998-07-05) 5 July 1998 (age 27) 21 0 United States Atlanta United v.  Jordan, 14 October 2025
DF Marash Kumbulla (2000-02-08) 8 February 2000 (age 26) 26 0 Spain Mallorca v.  Latvia, 9 September 2025INJ
DF Maldini Kacurri (2005-10-04) 4 October 2005 (age 20) 1 0 England Grimsby Town v.  Latvia, 9 September 2025PRE

MF Ernest Muçi (2001-03-19) 19 March 2001 (age 25) 17 3 Turkey Trabzonspor v.  Ukraine, 31 March 2026INJ
MF Nazmi Gripshi (1997-07-05) 5 July 1997 (age 28) 1 0 Russia Rubin Kazan v.  Ukraine, 31 March 2026INJ
MF Xhoeli Maçolli (2001-07-23) 23 July 2001 (age 24) 0 0 Albania Teuta v.  Poland, 26 March 2026TRA
MF Ledjo Tresa (2005-07-25) 25 July 2005 (age 20) 0 0 Albania Laçi v.  Poland, 26 March 2026TRA
MF Medon Berisha (2003-10-21) 21 October 2003 (age 22) 4 0 Italy Lecce v.  England, 16 November 2025INJ
MF Enis Çokaj (1999-02-23) 23 February 1999 (age 27) 6 0 Greece Levadiakos v.  Latvia, 9 September 2025

FW Jasir Asani (1995-05-19) 19 May 1995 (age 31) 26 6 Iran Esteghlal v.  Ukraine, 31 March 2026
FW Florenc Farruku (2001-07-04) 4 July 2001 (age 24) 0 0 Albania Dinamo City v.  Poland, 26 March 2026TRA
FW Rey Manaj (1997-02-24) 24 February 1997 (age 29) 45 11 Turkey Sivasspor v.  England, 16 November 2025INJ
FW Indrit Tuci (2000-09-14) 14 September 2000 (age 25) 5 0 Turkey Kayserispor v.  England, 16 November 2025

Notes
  • INJ = It is not part of the current squad due to injury.
  • TRA = Called up for training purposes only.
  • PRE = Preliminary squad/standby.
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Individual records

As of 6 June 2026[94]
Players in bold are still active with Albania.

Most appearances

Elseid Hysaj is Albania's most capped player with 100 appearances.
More information Rank, Name ...
Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Elseid Hysaj 100 2 2013–present
2 Lorik Cana 93 1 2003–2016
3 Etrit Berisha 81 0 2012–2024
4 Altin Lala 79 3 1998–2011
5 Klodian Duro 77 4 2001–2011
6 Ervin Skela 75 13 2000–2011
Erjon Bogdani 75 18 1996–2013
8 Foto Strakosha 73 0 1990–2004
Ansi Agolli 73 3 2005–2017
Berat Gjimshiti 73 1 2015–present
10 Odise Roshi 71 5 2011–2022
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Top goalscorers

More information Rank, Player ...
Rank Player Goals Caps Average Career
1 Erjon Bogdani 18 75 0.24 1996–2013
2 Alban Bushi 14 67 0.21 1995–2007
3 Sokol Cikalleshi 13 60 0.22 2014–2024
Ervin Skela 13 75 0.17 2000–2011
5 Armando Sadiku 12 39 0.31 2012–2023
6 Rey Manaj 11 45 0.25 2015–present
Hamdi Salihi 11 50 0.22 2006–2015
Altin Rraklli 11 63 0.17 1992–2005
9 Sokol Kushta 10 31 0.32 1987–1996
Igli Tare 10 68 0.15 1997–2007
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Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

More information FIFA World Cup record, Qualification record ...
FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pos. Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
Italy 1934 to Chile 1962 Did not participate Did not participate
England 1966 Did not qualify 4th6015212
Mexico 1970 Entry not accepted[95] Entry not accepted
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 4th6105313
Argentina 1978 Did not participate Did not participate
Spain 1982 Did not qualify 4th8107422
Mexico 1986 3rd612369
Italy 1990 4th6006315
United States 1994 7th12129626
France 1998 6th10118720
South Korea Japan 2002 5th8107514
Germany 2006 5th124171120
South Africa 2010 5th10145613
Brazil 2014 5th10325911
Russia 2018 3rd104151013
Qatar 2022 3rd106041212
Canada Mexico United States 2026 2nd
R2 P.O
942387
Spain Portugal Morocco 2030[d] To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/23 0 0 0 0 0 0 14/23 123 28 16 79 92 207
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UEFA European Championship

More information UEFA European Championship record, Qualifying record ...
UEFA European Championship record Qualifying record
Year Round Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pos. Pld W D L GF GA
France 1960 Did not participate Did not participate
Spain 1964 Did not qualify R16430174
Italy 1968 3rd4013012
Belgium 1972 4th611459
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1976 to Italy 1980 Did not participate Did not participate
France 1984 Did not qualify 5th8026414
West Germany 1988 4th6006217
Sweden 1992 5th7106221
England 1996 5th102261016
Belgium Netherlands 2000 5th10145814
Portugal 2004 4th82241115
Austria Switzerland 2008 5th122551218
Poland Ukraine 2012 5th10235714
France 2016 Group stage18th310213Squad 2nd8422105
Europe 2020 Did not qualify 4th104151614
Germany 2024 Group stage21st301235Squad 1st8431124
United Kingdom Republic of Ireland 2028 To be determined To be determined
Italy Turkey 2032
Total Group stage 2/17 6 1 1 4 4 8 14/17 111 26 26 59 100 177
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More information First match, Biggest win ...
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UEFA Nations League

More information UEFA Nations League record, League phase** ...
UEFA Nations League record
League phase** Finals
Season L&G Pos. Pld W D L GF GA P/R RK Year Pos. Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
2018–19 C1 3rd410318Same position34th Portugal 2019 Did not qualify
2020–21 C4 1st632184Rise35th Italy 2021
2022–23 B2 3rd402246Same position27th Netherlands 2023
2024–25 B1 4th621346Decrease29th Germany 2025
2026–27 C1 To be determined 2027
2028–29 To be determined 2029
Total 20 6 5 9 17 24 27th Total
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*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
**League stage played home and away. Flag shown represents host nation for the finals stage.

Summer Olympics

More information Olympic Games record, Qualification record ...
Olympic Games record Qualification record
Year Result Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pos. Pld W D L GF GA
United Kingdom 1908 to Germany 1936 Team did not exist Team did not exist
United Kingdom 1948 to Italy 1960 Did not participate Did not participate
Japan 1964 Did not qualify PR 200202
Mexico 1968 Did not participate Did not participate
West Germany 1972 Did not qualify PO 200224
Canada 1976 to South Korea 1988 Did not participate Did not participate
Since Spain 1992 See Albania national under-23 team See Albania national under-23 team
Total 0/2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2/2 4 0 0 4 2 6
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Other tournaments

  Champions    Runners-up    Third place     Tournament played fully or partially on home soil  

More information Year, Ranking ...
Year Ranking Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Squad
Balkan Cup
Albania 1946 Winner 1st320164Squad
1947 Fifth place 5th4004213 Squad
1948 Fifth place 5th 312010 Squad
Malta Malta International Tournament
1998 Third place 3rd302136 Squad
2000 Winner 1st330050 Squad
Bahrain Bahrain Shoot Tournament
2002[97][98] Third place 3rd302114 Squad
Total Best: Winner 6/6 19 6 6 7 18 27
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Medal Table Overview

More information Overview, Event ...
Overview
Event 1st place 2nd place 3rd place
World Cup 000
UEFA European Championship 000
UEFA Nations League 000
Summer Olympics 000
Mediterranean Games 000
Balkan Cup 100
Malta International Tournament 101
Bahrain Shoot Tournament 001
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FIFA rankings

As of 1 April 2026[99]

  Best Ranking    Worst Ranking    Best Mover    Worst Mover  

More information Rank, Year ...
Albania's FIFA world rankings
Rank Year Pld Best Worst
Rank Move Rank Move
642026263Increase 064Decrease 1
6320251061Increase 468Decrease 3
6520241364Increase 267Decrease 2
622023959Increase 368Decrease 3
6620221165Increase 169Decrease 1
6620211263Increase 369Decrease 3
662020766Increase 369Decrease 3
662019961Increase 266Decrease 4
602018956Increase 260Decrease 3
622017951Increase 971Decrease 12
4920161235Increase 549Decrease 10
 382015722Increase 1563Decrease 7
 582014945Increase 2570Decrease 16
572013837Increase 1671Decrease 13
632012958Increase 1797Decrease 10
7420111150Increase 2375Decrease 14
652010958Increase 1397Decrease 7
962009978Increase 398Decrease 11
 812008773Increase 19102Decrease 18
8020071166Increase 1188Decrease 12
872006662Increase 2088Decrease 13
8220051082Increase 793Decrease 4
862004886Increase 594Decrease 5
8920031186Increase 13101Decrease 5
932002992Increase 497Decrease 5
962001774Increase 196Decrease 6
722000872Increase 1394Decrease 6
831999883Increase 1595Decrease 2
1061998897Increase 14109Decrease 8
 11619977113Increase 8124Decrease 4
 1161996590Increase 6116Decrease 12
911995887Increase 13106Decrease 6
1001994593Increase 9113Decrease 11
921993791Increase 193Decrease 6
8619928686
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Head-to-head record

As of 6 June 2026 after the match against Luxembourg.
Key
Positive balance (more Wins)
Neutral balance (Wins = Losses)
Negative balance (more Losses)
More information Opponent, Pld ...
Opponent Pld W D L GF GA GD Win % Reference
 Algeria[A] 2 1 1 0 4 1 +3 50% H2H results
H2H results*
 Andorra 9 7 1 1 15 4 +11 77.77% H2H results
 Argentina 1 0 0 1 0 4 −4 0% H2H results
 Armenia 6 4 1 1 10 5 +5 66.6% H2H results
 Austria 7 0 0 7 2 19 −17 0% H2H results
 Azerbaijan 6 4 1 1 8 4 +4 66.6% H2H results
 Bahrain 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3 0% H2H results
 Belarus 7 3 2 2 10 10 0 42.8% H2H results
 Belgium 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 50% H2H results
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 5 1 2 2 4 5 −1 20% H2H results
 Bulgaria 14 3 4 7 10 17 −7 21.4% H2H results
 Cameroon 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0% H2H results
 Chile 1 0 0 1 0 3 –3 0% H2H results
 China 2 0 1 1 3 4 −1 0% H2H results
H2H results*
 Croatia 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 0% H2H results
 Cuba 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0% H2H results
 Cyprus 6 2 2 2 12 7 +5 33.3% H2H results
 Czech Republic[B] 10 3 2 5 11 16 −5 30% H2H results
 Denmark 10 1 3 6 4 19 −15 10% H2H results
 East Germany 3 0 1 2 2 7 −5 0% H2H results
 England 8 0 0 8 1 23 −22 0% H2H results
 Estonia 4 1 3 0 3 1 +2 25% H2H results
 Faroe Islands 2 1 1 0 3 1 +2 50% H2H results
 Finland 7 2 1 4 6 8 −2 28.5% H2H results
 France 9 1 1 7 4 20 −16 11.1% H2H results
 Georgia 17 4 4 9 14 24 −10 23.5% H2H results
 Germany[C] 14 0 1 13 10 38 −28 0% H2H results
 Gibraltar 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% H2H results
 Greece[D] 15 6 3 6 16 13 +3 50% H2H results
 Hungary 8 2 1 5 2 19 −17 25% H2H results
 Iceland 9 3 2 4 11 12 −1 33.3% H2H results
 Iran 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% H2H results
 Israel 7 2 0 5 6 10 −4 28.5% H2H results
 Italy 5 0 0 5 2 9 −5 0% H2H results
 Jordan 2 1 1 0 4 2 +2 50% H2H results
 Kazakhstan 4 3 1 0 6 2 +4 75% H2H results
 Kosovo 7 5 1 1 13 9 +1 71% H2H results[72][101][102]
 Latvia 7 1 6 0 8 7 +1 14.28% H2H results
 Liechtenstein 4 4 0 0 6 0 +9 100% H2H results
 Lithuania 6 2 1 3 7 7 0 33.3% H2H results
 Luxembourg 8 3 1 4 8 8 0 37.5% H2H results
 North Macedonia 10 2 4 4 7 12 −5 20% H2H results
 Malta 8 5 2 1 14 3 +11 62.5% H2H results
 Mexico 1 0 0 1 0 4 −4 0% H2H results
 Moldova 7 5 2 0 15 3 +12 71.4% H2H results
 Montenegro 3 3 0 0 9 2 +7 100% H2H results
1946 match
 Morocco 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0% H2H results
 Netherlands 4 0 0 4 1 7 −6 0% H2H results
 Northern Ireland 9 2 2 5 5 13 −8 22.2% H2H results
 Norway 5 1 2 2 5 6 −1 20% H2H results
 Poland 16 2 3 11 11 22 −11 12.5% H2H results
 Portugal 7 1 1 5 5 13 −8 14.2% H2H results
 Qatar 3 2 0 1 5 3 +2 66.6% H2H results
 Republic of Ireland 4 0 1 3 2 6 −4 0% H2H results
 Romania[E] 19 3 3 13 12 45 −33 15.7% H2H results
H2H results*
 Russia 2 1 0 1 4 5 −1 50% H2H results
 Scotland 2 0 0 2 0 6 −6 0% H2H results
 San Marino 4 4 0 0 13 0 +13 100% H2H results
 Saudi Arabia 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0% H2H results
 Serbia[F] 9 2 2 5 8 15 −7 22.2% H2H results
 Slovenia 7 1 2 4 2 6 −4 14.2% H2H results
 Spain 9 0 0 9 3 32 −28 0% H2H results
 Sweden 6 1 1 4 5 11 −6 16.6% H2H results
  Switzerland 7 0 1 6 4 12 −8 0% H2H results
 Turkey 12 4 2 6 14 13 +1 33.3% H2H results
 Ukraine 9 1 1 7 7 17 −10 11.1% H2H results
 Uzbekistan 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% H2H results
 Vietnam 1 1 0 0 5 0 +5 100% H2H results
 Wales 4 1 2 1 2 3 −1 25% H2H results
69 nations40911685208393603−20928.3%All H2H results
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Notes
  1. Includes match against the Algeria Olympic team.
  2. Includes matches against Czechoslovakia.
  3. Includes matches against West Germany.
  4. Includes awarded matches at the Euro 1964 qualifying.[100]
  5. Includes matches against the Romania Olympic team at 1971 Mediterranean Games qualifying.
  6. Includes matches against Yugoslavia.

Honours

2007 Postage stamp of Albania, commemorating the 60th Anniversary of Victory at the Balkan Cup

Regional

Friendly

See also

Notes

  1. The alternative name of the Albania national team that was used during this match.[70]
  2. Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine are required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice.[88]
  3. Due to Belarusian 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.[89]
  4. 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.[96]

References

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