Kosovo national football team
Men's national association football team representing Kosovo
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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 | Dardanët (Dardanians) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK) | |||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | |||
| Head coach | Franco Foda | |||
| Captain | Amir Rrahmani | |||
| Most caps | Mërgim Vojvoda (75) | |||
| Top scorer | Vedat Muriqi (32) | |||
| Home stadium | Fadil Vokrri Stadium | |||
| FIFA code | KOS[1] | |||
| ||||
| FIFA ranking | ||||
| Current | 78  (11 June 2026)[2] | |||
| Highest | 78 (March 2026[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 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. 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 purpose of this friendly match is that we wanted to face a team that has the same temperament and character as Albania national team."
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. 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 preparation before the UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying match against Albania.
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] This match ended with a 1–3 defeat. 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]
During UN administration
"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."
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 defeat. 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]
On 15 June 2007, Kosovo won 1–0 over Saudi Arabia. It was the first time that Kosovo played against a team that has taken part in the FIFA World Cup. 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 declaration of independence
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 determined Kosovo could not play friendly matches against FIFA members' national teams.[13]
On 17 February 2010, for the first time since its declaration of independence, Kosovo played an unofficial friendly match against Albania, which 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.[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, 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 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]
Kosovo began to make their debut in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, where Kosovo played in Group I with Croatia, Finland, Iceland, Turkey and Ukraine.[32][33] In their first game, the Kosovars held host Finland to a 1–1 draw,[34] but lost the remaining games and finished last in the group.
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.[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] Of eight matches, Kosovo won three times, against Bulgaria, Montenegro, and the Czech Republic, and finished third in the group. Their 5–3 loss to England on 10 September ended Kosovo's longest unbeaten run of 15 matches spanning nearly two years.[41] Although Kosovo failed go qualify directly, they advanced to the qualifying play-offs because they had won their Nations League group.[42] Kosovo was drawn against North Macedonia in the play-off semi-final, which they lost 1–2 in Skopje.[43]
In following competitions, Kosovo had less success. In the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, Kosovo finished third with 5 points out of 6 matches, avoiding relegation.[44] In the qualification campaign for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Kosovo finished last.[45] In the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League, Kosovo showed signs of improvement. The team finished second in its League C group, registering wins against Cyprus,[46] Northern Ireland,[47] and losing to Greece.[48] During the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying, Kosovo was placed in a group with Andorra, Belarus, Israel, Romania and Switzerland. Kosovo concluded the campaign in fourth place with 11 points out of 10 matches, missing out on qualification.[49]
In the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League, Kosovo competed in Group C2, alongside Cyprus, Lithuania and Romania.[50] The national team began the campaign with a home defeat to Romania but responded with several victories, including two wins over Cyprus and an away win against Lithuania.[51] The return match against Romania, held on 15 November 2024 in Bucharest, was abandoned and later awarded as a 3–0 forfeit loss to Kosovo.[52] The decision came after tensions escalated during the match, involving clashes between players and fans, object-throwing, and physical altercations on the pitch,[53] leading UEFA to end the game prematurely and issue disciplinary action.[54] Kosovo finished second in the group with 13 points, securing a spot in the promotion play-offs to League B.[55]
Promotion to League B and 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign
In March 2025, Kosovo faced Iceland in the promotion play-offs over two legs as part of the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League play-offs.[56] The first leg, played at home in Pristina on 20 March 2025, ended in a 2–1 victory for Kosovo.[57] Three days later, Kosovo secured a 3–1 win in the return leg on neutral ground in Murcia, resulting in a 5–2 aggregate score and ensuring promotion to League B of the UEFA Nations League for the first time in its history.[58]
In June 2025, Kosovo played two friendly matches at home, recording victories 5–2 against Armenia,[59] and 4–2 against Comoros,[60] continuing their strong attacking form.
Kosovo then began their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign in September 2025. The team opened with a 0–4 away defeat to Switzerland in Basel,[61] before responding with a 2–0 home win over Sweden in Pristina.[62] In October 2025, Kosovo drew goalless at home against Slovenia,[63] and followed it with a 1–0 away victory over Sweden in Gothenburg.[64] The campaign concluded in November 2025 with two further positive results, as Kosovo defeated Slovenia 2–0 away in Ljubljana, securing advancement to the play-offs,[65] and drew 1–1 at home against Switzerland.[66]
On 26 March 2026, Kosovo defeated Slovakia 4–3 in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification play-offs, advancing to their first-ever play-off final, in which they faced Turkey in Pristina, where they lost with a score of 1–0.[67]
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.[68]
- "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][69][70]
Kits and crest
The Kosovo national team kits were mostly red and black before the declaration of independence, with occasional variations over the years. After independence, the kits have primarily been blue and yellow. On 5 October 2016, Kosovo signed a four-year contract with the Spanish sportswear company Kelme, becoming the first official kit supplier of Kosovo following the country's membership in UEFA and FIFA.[71] On 23 February 2022, Kosovo signed a three-year contract with the Italian sportswear company Erreà, making it the team's kit supplier.[72] Starting from June 2026, the German sportswear company Adidas will become the team's next kit supplier.[73]
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 |
2023–2026 | 23 February 2023 | 2023–2026 (3 years) |
| Adidas |
2026–present | 5 February 2026 | 2026–2028 (2 years) |
Home stadium
![](#/media/File:Olympisches_Stadium_"Adem_Jashari"_Mitrovicë.jpg)
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,[74][75] and this happened after the two stadiums in Pristina and Mitrovica at that time were under renovation and do not meet UEFA standards.[76] On 12 July 2019, the construction of Kosovo National Stadium began,[77] and two days later the project of this stadium was presented which would have a capacity of 30,000 seats,[78] but after the presentation, the construction was suspended for political reasons related to the location.[79]
- As of 31 March 2026[80]
| 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 | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 45.65 |  Yugoslavia |
8 November 1967 |  Turkey |
31 March 2026 |  |
[81] |
| Loro Boriçi Stadium | 16,000 | Shkodër, Albania | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.00 | Croatia |
6 October 2016 |  Ukraine |
6 October 2017 | |
[82] |
| Adem Jashari Olympic Stadium | 18,500 | Mitrovica, Kosovo | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33.33 |  Haiti |
5 March 2014 |  Latvia |
13 November 2017 |  |
[83] |
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]
Romania
Kosovo and Romania have a tense football rivalry, largely due to Romania's support for Serbia's territorial integrity and has not recognized the legitimacy of Kosovo's independence. The two teams have faced each other several times, with each match resulting in significant controversy. In a September 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying, Kosovo walked off the pitch in protest after incidents involving Romanian fans, including pro-Serbia chants and banners.[84] The match resumed, but Kosovo's appeal for a 3–0 victory was rejected and Romania won 2–0.[85] In their 2024–25 UEFA Nations League encounters, tensions escalated further with fights on the pitch, object-throwing and clashes between players and fans.[53] The final match was abandoned and Romania was later awarded a 3–0 victory.[52] Both teams faced fines for the incidents and the Football Federation of Kosovo subsequently confirmed they would appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.[54]
Media coverage
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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
| 5 September 2026 World Cup qualification | Switzerland | 4–0 | Kosovo | Basel, Switzerland |
| 20:45 | Report | Stadium: St. Jakob-Park Attendance: 33,996 Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland) |
| 8 September 2026 World Cup qualification | Kosovo | 2–0 |  Sweden | Pristina, Kosovo |
| 20:45 | Report | Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium Attendance: 12,887 Referee: Allard Lindhout (Netherlands) |
| 10 October 2026 World Cup qualification | Kosovo | 0–0 |  Slovenia | Pristina, Kosovo |
| 20:45 | Report | Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium Attendance: 12,268 Referee: Marco Guida (Italy) |
| 13 October 2026 World Cup qualification | Sweden | 0–1 | Kosovo | Gothenburg, Sweden |
| 20:45 | Report | Asllani  32' |
Stadium: Ullevi Attendance: 36,571 Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands) |
| 15 November 2026 World Cup qualification | Slovenia | 0–2 | Kosovo | Ljubljana, Slovenia |
| 20:45 | Report | Stadium: Stožice Stadium Attendance: 15,382 Referee: Clément Turpin (France) |
| 18 November 2026 World Cup qualification | Kosovo | 1–1 | Switzerland | Pristina, Kosovo |
| 20:45 | Muslija 74' |
Report | Vargas 47' |
Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium Attendance: 11,215 Referee: Davide Massa (Italy) |
2026
| 26 March 2026 World Cup qualification play-offs | Slovakia  | 3–4 | Kosovo | Bratislava, Slovakia |
| 20:45 UTC+1 | Report | Stadium: Tehelné pole Attendance: 20,113 Referee: Espen Eskås (Norway) |
| 31 March 2026 World Cup qualification play-offs | Kosovo | 0–1 | Turkey | Pristina, Kosovo |
| 20:45 | Report | Aktürkoğlu 53' |
Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium Attendance: 12,887 Referee: Michael Oliver (England) |
| 31 May Friendly | Czech Republic  | 2–1 | Kosovo | Prague, Czech Republic |
| 16:00 | Report | Emërllahu 80' |
Stadium: Stadion Letná Attendance: 11,102 Referee: Michal Očenáš (Slovakia) |
| 7 June Friendly | Kosovo | 3–0 |  Andorra | Pristina, Kosovo |
| 20:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium Referee: Juxhin Xhaja (Albania) |
| 24 September 2026–27 Nations League | Kosovo | v |  Republic of Ireland | Pristina, Kosovo |
| 20:45 | Report | Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium |
| 27 September 2026–27 Nations League | Austria  | v | Kosovo | Vienna, Austria |
| 18:00 | Report | Stadium: Ernst-Happel-Stadion |
| 1 October 2026–27 Nations League | Israel  | v | Kosovo | TBD, TBD[c] |
| 20:45 (21:45 UTC+3) | Report | Stadium: TBD[c] |
| 4 October 2026–27 Nations League | Kosovo | v | Austria | Pristina, Kosovo |
| 18:00 | Report | Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium |
| 14 November 2026–27 Nations League | Kosovo | v | Israel | Pristina, Kosovo |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium |
| 17 November 2026–27 Nations League | Republic of Ireland | v | Kosovo | Dublin, Ireland |
| 20:45 (19:45 UTC+0) | Report | Stadium: Aviva Stadium |
Coaching staff
Current coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Franco Foda |
| Assistant coach(es) | Robert Ibertsberger |
| Thomas Kristl | |
| Atdhe Nuhiu | |
| Goalkeeping coach | Ahmet Beselica |
| Match analyst | Maximilian Matten |
| Video analyst | Robin Krasniqi |
| Team manager | Bajram Shala |
| Sporting director | Samir Ujkani |
| Director of sport | Muharrem Sahiti |
Manager history
.jpg)
- As of 7 June 2026[90]
| 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 C |
Bernard Challandes → Muharrem Sahiti[d] |
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 |
| 9 | Franco Foda |
2024–present | 23 | 14 | 2 | 7 | 60.87 |
| Total | 110 | 44 | 22 | 44 | 40.00 | ||
Players
Current squad
- The following players were called up for the friendly matches against the Czech Republic and Andorra, on 31 May and 7 June 2026.[95]
- Caps and goals are correct as of 7 June 2026[update], after the match against Andorra
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Altin Gjokaj | 11 November 2005 | 0 | 0 | Prishtina |
| 12 | GK | Visar Bekaj | 24 May 1997 | 11 | 0 |  Tirana |
| 16 | GK | Amir Saipi | 8 July 2000 | 4 | 0 | Lugano |
| 2 | DF | Betim Fazliji | 25 April 1999 | 23 | 0 | St. Gallen |
| 3 | DF | Ron Raçi | 18 September 2002 | 3 | 0 | Hajduk Split |
| 4 | DF | Ilir Krasniqi | 2 April 2000 | 19 | 0 | Polissya Zhytomyr |
| 13 | DF | Dion Gallapeni | 22 December 2004 | 13 | 0 |  Wisła Płock |
| 15 | DF | Mërgim Vojvoda (captain) | 1 February 1995 | 75 | 3 | Como |
| 21 | DF | Albian Hajdari | 18 May 2003 | 7 | 0 | TSG Hoffenheim |
| 5 | MF | Vesel Demaku | 5 February 2000 | 5 | 0 | SCR Altach |
| 6 | MF | Elvis Rexhbeçaj | 1 November 1997 | 18 | 2 | FC Augsburg |
| 8 | MF | Valmir Matoshi | 4 July 2003 | 2 | 1 | Thun |
| 10 | MF | Leon Avdullahu | 23 February 2004 | 7 | 0 | TSG Hoffenheim |
| 14 | MF | Dardan Shabanhaxhaj | 23 April 2001 | 1 | 0 |  Rubin Kazan |
| 19 | MF | Lindon Emërllahu | 7 December 2002 | 15 | 2 | Polissya Zhytomyr |
| 20 | MF | Veldin Hoxha | 15 October 2002 | 8 | 1 | Rubin Kazan |
| 22 | MF | Muharrem Jashari | 21 February 1998 | 14 | 1 | LNZ Cherkasy |
| 23 | MF | Bersant Celina | 9 September 1996 | 38 | 2 | AIK |
| 7 | FW | Baton Zabërgja | 18 April 2001 | 6 | 0 | Metalist 1925 Kharkiv |
| 9 | FW | Albion Rrahmani | 31 August 2000 | 25 | 7 | Sparta Prague |
| 11 | FW | Fisnik Asllani | 8 August 2002 | 16 | 4 | TSG Hoffenheim |
| 17 | FW | Ermal Krasniqi | 7 September 1998 | 15 | 2 | Legia Warsaw |
| 18 | FW | Rilind Nivokazi | 26 January 2000 | 1 | 0 | Sion |
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.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Arijanet Muric | 7 November 1998 | 51 | 0 | Sassuolo |
v. Andorra, 7 June 2026INJ |
| GK | Faton Maloku | 11 June 1991 | 0 | 0 | Drita |
v. Czech Republic, 31 May 2026PRE |
| DF | Lumbardh Dellova | 1 January 1999 | 23 | 3 |  CSKA Sofia |
v. Czech Republic, 31 May 2026INJ |
| DF | Andi Hoti | 2 March 2003 | 1 | 0 | Eintracht Braunschweig |
v. Czech Republic, 31 May 2026INJ |
| DF | Fidan Aliti | 3 October 1993 | 64 | 1 | Alanyaspor |
v. Turkey, 31 March 2026INJ |
| DF | Florent Hadergjonaj | 31 July 1994 | 39 | 1 | Alanyaspor |
v. Turkey, 31 March 2026INJ |
| DF | Kreshnik Hajrizi | 28 May 1999 | 7 | 1 | Sion |
v. Turkey, 31 March 2026 |
| DF | Amir Rrahmani | 24 February 1994 | 67 | 7 | Napoli |
v. Slovakia, 26 March 2026INJ |
| DF | Leard Sadriu | 22 April 2001 | 2 | 0 |  Argeș Pitești |
v. Slovakia, 26 March 2026PRE |
| DF | Leart Paqarada | 10 August 1994 | 37 | 1 | 1. FC Heidenheim |
v. Sweden, 8 September 2025INJ |
| MF | Edon Zhegrova | 31 March 1999 | 46 | 5 | Juventus |
v. Czech Republic, 31 May 2026WD |
| MF | Meriton Korenica | 15 December 1996 | 6 | 0 | CFR Cluj |
v. Czech Republic, 31 May 2026PRE |
| MF | Ismet Lushaku | 22 September 2000 | 2 | 0 | Västerås SK |
v. Czech Republic, 31 May 2026PRE |
| MF | Florian Haxha | 6 April 2002 | 2 | 0 | Motor Lublin |
v. Czech Republic, 31 May 2026PRE |
| MF | Bledian Krasniqi | 17 June 2001 | 1 | 0 | Zürich |
v. Czech Republic, 31 May 2026PRE |
| MF | Kreshnik Krasniqi | 22 December 2000 | 0 | 0 |  Strømsgodset |
v. Czech Republic, 31 May 2026PRE |
| MF | Valon Berisha | 7 February 1993 | 52 | 4 | Zürich |
v. Turkey, 31 March 2026 |
| MF | Florent Muslija | 6 July 1998 | 40 | 3 | Fortuna Düsseldorf |
v. Turkey, 31 March 2026 |
| MF | Donat Rrudhani | 2 May 1999 | 19 | 2 | Sion |
v. Slovenia, 15 November 2025PRE |
| MF | Behar Neziri | 6 January 2003 | 0 | 0 | St. Gallen |
v. Slovenia, 15 November 2025PRE |
| MF | Lirjon Abdullahu | 6 April 2008 | 0 | 0 | Stuttgarter Kickers |
v. Switzerland, 5 September 2025PRE |
| FW | Milot Rashica | 28 June 1996 | 64 | 12 | Beşiktaş |
v. Turkey, 31 March 2026INJ |
| FW | Vedat Muriqi | 24 April 1994 | 68 | 32 | Mallorca |
v. Turkey, 31 March 2026 |
| ||||||
Records
- Players in bold are still active with Kosovo.[96]
Most appearances
- As of 7 June 2026[97]
_25.jpg)
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Pos. | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mërgim Vojvoda | 75 | 3 | DF | 2017–present |
| 2 | Vedat Muriqi | 68 | 32 | FW | 2016–present |
| 3 | Amir Rrahmani | 67 | 7 | DF | 2014–present |
| 4 | Milot Rashica | 64 | 12 | FW | 2016–present |
| Fidan Aliti | 64 | 1 | DF | 2017–present | |
| 6 | Valon Berisha | 52 | 4 | MF | 2016–present |
| 7 | Arijanet Muric | 51 | 0 | GK | 2018–present |
| 8 | Edon Zhegrova | 46 | 5 | MF | 2018–present |
| 9 | Florent Hadergjonaj | 39 | 1 | DF | 2019–present |
| 10 | Bersant Celina | 38 | 2 | MF | 2014–present |
Top goalscorers
- As of 7 June 2026[98]
_05.jpg)
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vedat Muriqi | 32 | 68 | 0.47 | 2016–present |
| 2 | Milot Rashica | 12 | 64 | 0.19 | 2016–present |
| 3 | Arbër Zeneli | 9 | 33 | 0.27 | 2016–present |
| 4 | Albion Rrahmani | 7 | 25 | 0.28 | 2023–present |
| Amir Rrahmani | 7 | 67 | 0.1 | 2014–present | |
| 6 | Elbasan Rashani | 5 | 29 | 0.17 | 2016–2024 |
| Edon Zhegrova | 5 | 46 | 0.11 | 2018–present | |
| 8 | Fisnik Asllani | 4 | 15 | 0.27 | 2024–present |
| Benjamin Kololli | 4 | 24 | 0.17 | 2016–2022 | |
| Valon Berisha | 4 | 52 | 0.08 | 2016–present | |
Captains
- As of 18 November 2025[99]
| Rank | Pos. | Player | As captain | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | Caps | Career | Caps | |||
| 1 | DF | Amir Rrahmani | 2019–present | 42 | 2014–present | 67 |
| 2 | GK | Samir Ujkani | 2015–2022 | 30 | 2014–2022 | 36 |
| 3 | FW | Vedat Muriqi | 2022–2025 | 7 | 2016–present | 66 |
| 4 | DF | Fidan Aliti | 2020–2023 | 3 | 2017–present | 63 |
| MF | Valon Berisha | 2018–2020 | 3 | 2016–present | 52 | |
| MF | Anel Rashkaj | 2014 | 3 | 2010–2020 | 15 | |
| 7 | DF | Mërgim Vojvoda | 2025 | 2 | 2017–present | 71 |
| MF | Herolind Shala | 2019–2020 | 2 | 2016–2021 | 27 | |
| GK | Visar Bekaj | 2021–2022 | 2 | 2015–present | 10 | |
| 9 | MF | Milot Rashica | 2023 | 1 | 2016–present | 63 |
| MF | Hekuran Kryeziu | 2019 | 1 | 2015–2023 | 30 | |
| MF | Florian Loshaj | 2021 | 1 | 2020–2024 | 24 | |
| DF | Lirim Kastrati | 2022 | 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.[100]
| 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  1998 |
Part of  FR Yugoslavia |
Part of FR Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||
  2002 to 2006 |
Not a FIFA member, under UNMIK |
Not a FIFA member, under UNMIK | |||||||||||||||
 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 |
2nd (PO) | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 9 | ||||||||||
  2030[e] |
To be determined | ||||||||||||||||
 2034 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | — | 0/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3/3 | 26 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 18 | 48 | |
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.[102] On 11 June 2019, Kosovo won their first qualifying match for a major tournament by defeating Bulgaria 3–2.[103]
| 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 |
Part of FR Yugoslavia |
Part of FR Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||
  2000 to 2004 |
Not a UEFA member, under UNMIK |
Not a UEFA member, under UNMIK | |||||||||||||||
| 2008 |
Not a UEFA member | Not a UEFA member | |||||||||||||||
| 2012 | |||||||||||||||||
| 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 | |
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 | Kosovo 0–3 Romania (Pristina, Kosovo; 6 September 2024) |
| Best result | 38th place in 2024–25 |
| 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.[104] 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.[105] 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 | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 8 | | 39th | 2023 | |||||||||
| 2024–25 | C | 2 | 2nd | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 9 | | 38th | 2025 | |||||||||
| 2026–27 | B | 3 | To be determined |  2027 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | 26 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 45 | 25 | 38th | Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||||||
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.[106]
| 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
Best ranking Worst ranking Best mover Worst mover
| Rank | Year | Pld | W | D | L | Win % | Ranking | Move | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best (+) | Worst (−) | Best | Worst | ||||||||
| 79 | 2026 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00 | 78 | 79 | 1 (January) | — | |
| 80 | 2025 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 70.00 | 80 | 97 | 19 (November) | 2 (July) | |
| 99 | 2024 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 55.56 | 99 | 106 | 3 (October) | 3 (June) | |
| 101 | 2023 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 20.00 | 101 | 111 | 6 (October) | 2 (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
Honours
See also
- Men's
- Women's