FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
They are World Cup legends, not even a decade old as a footballing nation and with fewer people than the state of South Australia. A Balkan West Virginia, but with a very small area and a diverse past.
Tiny Kosovo is one match away from its first appearance at a World Cup, where it is bidding for a place in Group D alongside Australia, Paraguay and the tournament's co-host, the United States.
All that stands in their way is a single, all-or-nothing qualifier against Turkey at home in Pristina on Tuesday. It is a magnificent culmination of a qualifying campaign that has been a call for optimism and national pride.
Kosovo coach Franco Foda said Tuesday's match would attract 100,000 people – almost half the population of the capital Pristina – if the Fadil Vokrri stadium were big enough to accommodate them all. Unfortunately, its capacity is 14,000, although in 2007 25,000 people gathered there for a performance by rapper 50 Cent at what was a pivotal moment in post-war healing.
This is a place where conflict is not easily forgotten. Not far from the stadium, a police station was bombed by NATO during the 1998-99 war. In the north of the country, tensions with neighboring Serbia still persist.
For a nation like Kosovo, football means something more. “As a national team, we became a symbol that anything is possible,” says Melbourne City winger Elbasan Rashani, who played 29 times for Kosovo between 2016 and 2024. “We showed the way for the people of Kosovo to be recognized.”
After Thursday’s dramatic 4-3 win over Slovakia in the play-off semi-final in Bratislava, the president of the Kosovo Football Federation, Agim Ademi, called Kosovo’s players “gladiators.” People celebrated the victory with fireworks in the streets of Pristina and on social media. Slovakia, like Serbia, does not recognize Kosovo’s independence. It is notable that neither of the two countries’ football teams will be crossing the Atlantic this summer.
Kreshnik Hajrizi celebrates scoring Kosovo's fourth goal against Slovakia
Kosovo may be closer than ever to a historic World Cup appearance, but Foda says people should not get carried away. "We have emotional fans, but we have to be careful and not allow ourselves to make mistakes. Success is only achieved by maintaining composure."
Kosovo's star striker Vedat Muriqi, who plays for Mallorca in Spain, says reaching the World Cup is the pinnacle of a footballer's career and that he has only "one small step" left. "Then we can bring happiness to people all over Kosovo," he said.
However, Turkey (ranked 23rd in the world) presents a big challenge. “We know Turkey’s qualities. They are a better team than Slovakia. We also know their weaknesses,” says the striker. “We will give our best. With the support of the fans, I believe it will be a little easier.”
In 2021, Kosovo finished last in their World Cup qualifying group, winning just one match. Before the draw for the 2026 edition, the Kosovars were ranked 99th when they entered the qualifiers, even behind the historically small team Luxembourg.
They were the obvious underdogs in a group consisting of Sweden, Switzerland and Slovenia, and qualification seemed almost impossible after a 4-0 defeat in Basel in their first match. But two shock wins against Sweden, plus another surprise win against Slovenia, secured Kosovo a place in the knockout stage.
A World Cup appearance would be an exciting achievement for a nation whose independence was declared in 2008 and which only joined FIFA and UEFA in 2016.
Rashani – born in Sweden and raised in Norway by Kosovar parents who fled their homeland in 1992 – was there for much of the team’s formative years, as one of several players from the diaspora invited to play. “We always had faith,” he says.
“I remember our first coach, Albert Bunjaki, at the time when they wanted to create a national team. He took his car and was traveling around Europe to see us one by one, the players, and to tell us about the project and to convince us to play for Kosovo. So, from the beginning, you could feel that this is something special.”
Melbourne City's Elbasan Rashani
Kosovo came within 90 minutes of qualifying for Euro 2020 when a squad weakened by several absences due to Covid-19 restrictions lost 2-1 in a qualifier against North Macedonia. Rashani played in that match in Skopje and knows the advantage the home crowd will offer this time. "I always tell my friends, you don't need a warm-up before playing for Kosovo, just hearing the fans gives you the nerves."
This time, however, Rashani will wake up before 5am to watch the qualifier as a fan, from his home in Australia. “People from all over the world who have a connection to Kosovo will be watching. It’s a very important match for us and we hope we can pull it off.” / The Guardian
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