Albania national football team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Albania women's national football team.

The Albania national football team (Albanian: Kombëtarja e futbollit të Shqipërisë) 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 tricolor. Their supporters are colloquially referred to as the Tifozat Kuq e Zi (Red and Black Fans).

Albania

Nickname(s)	Kuqezinjtë (The Red and Blacks)
Association	Federata Shqiptare e Futbollit (FSHF)
Confederation	UEFA
Head coach	Sylvinho
Captain	Berat Gjimshiti
Most caps	Lorik Cana (93)
Top scorer	Erjon Bogdani (18)
Home stadium	Arena Kombëtare
FIFA code	ALB
First colours Second colours Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current	65 (19 December 2024)[1]
Highest	22 (August 2015[2])
Lowest	124 (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
Appearances	2 (first in 2016)
Best result	Group stage (2016, 2024)
Medal record Men's football Balkan Cup 1946 Albania Team Malta International Tournament 2000 Albania Team

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

Main article: History of the Albania national football team

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 in a Euro Cup competition, and the reason being Albania got past the first leg against Greece, for political reasons forfeited the game.^[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 Euro, its first appearance at a major men's football tournament.^[28] In the tournament itself, Albania lost 1–0 to Switzerland and 2–0 to hosts France. While they beat Romania 1–0 (their first win against Romania since 1947), the team finished last among the third-placed teams and were eliminated in the group stage.^[29]

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.^[30] 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.^[31] Panucci would be sacked after a 2–0 defeat to Turkey in the opening match of UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying.^[32] 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.^[33] In the end, Albania placed fourth in the group, failing to qualify.^[34]

Albania qualified for UEFA Euro 2024, their second major tournament.^[35] They were drawn into a "group of death" against Spain, Italy, and Croatia, all three opponents being Euros and World Cup medalists. With two losses to Spain and Italy and a draw against Croatia, the team finished at the bottom of their group and did not advance.^[36]

Albania is set to compete in the UEFA Nations League B in fall 2024, followed by qualification matches for the 2026 World Cup.

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.^[37]

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.^[38][39]

Kit wear suppliers

Adidas (1988)

Umbro (1992–93)

Uhlsport (1994–95)

Puma (1996–04)

Umbro (2004–07)

Nike (2008–10)

Legea (2010–12)

Adidas (2012–16)

Macron (2016–27)

Home stadium

Main articles: Arena Kombëtare, Elbasan Arena, and Loro Boriçi Stadium

See also: Qemal Stafa 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.^[40] The stadium had an Olympic Stadium shape, as idealised by Gherardo Bosio, a young fascist architect from Florence.^[41] The stadium's initial capacity was 15,000, due to the fact that Tirana at that time had only 60,000 inhabitants.^[41] It was named after Qemal Stafa, a Hero of Albania in World War II.^[42] The stadium was inaugurated officially on 7 October 1946 when Albania played its first competitive match against Yugoslavia.^[43] Ever since then, a further 130 international matches took place in the stadium, with the last being a friendly against Georgia in November 2015.^[44] 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".^[40] In November 2013, Qemal Stafa Stadium was shut down by FIFA for not fulfilling international standards.^[45] The stadium's demolition started in June 2016, and it was announced that it would be replaced by Arena Kombëtare.^[46]

Albania has played home matches at other venues; outside Tirana, the national team has played matches in Flamurtari Stadium in Vlorë,^[47] Tomori Stadium in Berat,^[48] Niko Dovana Stadium in Durrës,^[49] Loro Boriçi Stadium in Shkodër^[50] and Elbasan Arena in Elbasan.^[51] In February 2014, renovations for Elbasan Arena (at the time Ruzhdi Bizhuta Stadium) started.^[52] 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.^[53] The official inauguration occurred two days later in the Euro 2016 qualifying match against Denmark.^[54]

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.^[55] The stadium's construction started in May 2015 and finished in August 2016.^[56] 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.^[57]

Rivalries

Kosovo

Main article: Brotherly derby

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][59][60]

Serbia

Main article: Albania–Serbia football rivalry

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 Albanians"^[61] and were throwing flares at Albania, after which there was a clash between the two teams.^[62]

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

Supporters

Main article: Tifozat Kuq e Zi

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.^[63][64] It was founded on 25 December 2003.^[63] 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.^[65][66] 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).^[63]

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.^{[67][68][69][70]}

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 didn't believe that there was 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".^[71] 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.^[72][73][74]

Media coverage

Current Broadcaster Television channel Period Broadcast matches Qualifying Friendly SuperSport Albania N/A–present TV Klan 2022–present[75] ArtMotion ArtSport 2022–present Klan Kosova

Previous Broadcaster Television channel Period Albanian Radio Television until 2022 Radio Television of Kosovo RTK 1

Results and fixtures

Main article: Albania national football team results (2020–present)

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

2024

Albania  v  Chile

22 March Friendly	Albania	0–3	Chile	Parma, Italy
20:45 UTC+1		Report	Vargas 19' Bolados 83' Dávila 90+2'	Stadium: Stadio Ennio Tardini Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Luca Pairetto (Italy)

Sweden  v  Albania

25 March Friendly	Sweden	1–0	Albania	Solna, Sweden
19:00 UTC+1	Nilsson 62'	Report		Stadium: Friends Arena Referee: Marcel Bîrsan (Romania)

Albania  v  Liechtenstein

3 June Friendly	Albania	3–0	Liechtenstein	Szombathely, Hungary
20:00	Broja 31' Asani 47' Muçi 67'	Report		Stadium: Haladás Sportkomplexum Attendance: 200 Referee: Bence Csonka (Hungary)

Albania  v  Azerbaijan

7 June Friendly	Albania	3–1	Azerbaijan	Szombathely, Hungary
19:00	Bajrami 11' Manaj 81' Laçi 87'	Report	Qurbanlı 90'	Stadium: Haladás Sportkomplexum Referee: Mihály Káprály (Hungary)

Italy  v  Albania

15 June Euro 2024	Italy	2–1	Albania	Dortmund, Germany
21:00 CEST	Bastoni 11' Barella 16'	Report	Bajrami 1'	Stadium: Westfalenstadion Attendance: 60,512 Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany)

Croatia  v  Albania

19 June Euro 2024	Croatia	2–2	Albania	Hamburg, Germany
15:00 CEST	Kramarić 74' Gjasula 76' (o.g.)	Report	Laçi 11' Gjasula 90+5'	Stadium: Volksparkstadion Attendance: 46,784 Referee: François Letexier (France)

Albania  v  Spain

24 June Euro 2024	Albania	0–1	Spain	Düsseldorf, Germany
21:00 CEST		Report	Torres 13'	Stadium: Merkur Spiel-Arena Attendance: 46,586 Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)

Ukraine  v  Albania

7 September 2024–25 Nations League	Ukraine	1–2	Albania	Prague, Czech Republic[b]
20:45	Konoplia 49'	Report	Ismajli 54' Asani 66'	Stadium: Stadion Letná Attendance: 15,500 Referee: Luis Godinho (Portugal)

Albania  v  Georgia

10 September 2024–25 Nations League	Albania	0–1	Georgia	Tirana, Albania
20:45		Report	Kochorashvili 71'	Stadium: Arena Kombëtare Attendance: 20,400 Referee: Erik Lambrechts (Belgium)

Czech Republic  v  Albania

11 October 2024–25 Nations League	Czech Republic	2–0	Albania	Prague, Czech Republic
20:45	Chorý 3', 63'	Report		Stadium: Stadion Letná Attendance: 17,823 Referee: Benoît Bastien (France)

Georgia  v  Albania

14 October 2024–25 Nations League	Georgia	0–1	Albania	Tbilisi, Georgia
18:00 (20:00 UTC+4)		Report	Asllani 48'	Stadium: Mikheil Meskhi Stadium Attendance: 19,981 Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)

Albania  v  Czech Republic

16 November 2024–25 Nations League	Albania	0–0	Czech Republic	Tirana, Albania
20:45		Report		Stadium: Arena Kombëtare Attendance: 20,800 Referee: Sandro Schärer (Switzerland)

Albania  v  Ukraine

19 November 2024–25 Nations League	Albania	1–2	Ukraine	Tirana, Albania
20:45	Bajrami 75' (pen.)	Report	Zinchenko 5' Yaremchuk 10'	Stadium: Arena Kombëtare Attendance: 20,547 Referee: João Pinheiro (Portugal)

2025

England  v  Albania

21 March 2026 FIFA World Cup q.	England	v	Albania	London, England
20:45		Report		Stadium: Wembley Stadium

Albania  v  Andorra

24 March 2026 FIFA World Cup q.	Albania	v	Andorra	Tirana, Albania
20:45		Report		Stadium: Arena Kombëtare

Albania  v  Serbia

7 June 2026 FIFA World Cup q.	Albania	v	Serbia	TBD
20:45		Report		Stadium: TBD

Latvia  v  Albania

10 June 2026 FIFA World Cup q.	Latvia	v	Albania	TBD
20:45		Report		Stadium: TBD

Albania  v  Latvia

9 September 2026 FIFA World Cup q.	Albania	v	Latvia
20:45		Report

Serbia  v  Albania

11 October 2026 FIFA World Cup q.	Serbia	v	Albania
20:45		Report

Andorra  v  Albania

13 November 2026 FIFA World Cup q.	Andorra	v	Albania
20:45		Report

Albania  v  England

16 November 2026 FIFA World Cup q.	Albania	v	England
18:00		Report

Coaching staff

See also: List of Albania national football team managers

Current coaching staff

Albania's current manager Sylvinho

Role	Name
Head coach	Sylvinho
Assistant coach(es)	Pablo Zabaleta
	Dorival Guidoni
	Ervin Bulku
Athletic coach(es)	Taulant Stërmasi
	Elton Kodra
Goalkeeping coach	Ilir Bozhiqi
Physiotherapist	Altin Haxhia
Doctor	Gianluca Stesina
Masseur	Arzen Voçi
Material base(s)	Eduard Salillari
	Osman Bulku
Osteopath	Arjan Llaperi
Team manager	Dritan Babamusta
Video analyst	Alarico Marco Rossi

Players

See also: List of Albania international footballers

Current squad

• The following players were called up for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League matches against Czech Republic and Ukraine, on 16 and 19 November 2024.^[77]
• Caps and goals are correct as of 19 November 2024^[update], after the match against Ukraine.^[78]

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Thomas Strakosha (4th captain)	(1995-03-19) 19 March 1995 (age 29)	37	0	AEK Athens
12	1GK	Elhan Kastrati	(1997-02-02) 2 February 1997 (age 28)	2	0	Cittadella
23	1GK	Alen Sherri	(1997-12-15) 15 December 1997 (age 27)	1	0	Cagliari
24	1GK	Simon Simoni	(2004-07-14) 14 July 2004 (age 20)	0	0	Kaiserslautern
2	2DF	Iván Balliu	(1992-01-01) 1 January 1992 (age 33)	17	0	Rayo Vallecano
3	2DF	Mario Mitaj	(2003-08-06) 6 August 2003 (age 21)	23	0	Al-Ittihad
4	2DF	Elseid Hysaj (captain)	(1994-02-02) 2 February 1994 (age 31)	89	2	Lazio
5	2DF	Arlind Ajeti	(1993-09-25) 25 September 1993 (age 31)	32	1	Bodrum
6	2DF	Jon Mersinaj	(1999-02-08) 8 February 1999 (age 26)	1	0	Lokomotiva Zagreb
13	2DF	Enea Mihaj	(1998-07-05) 5 July 1998 (age 26)	19	0	Famalicão
18	2DF	Ardian Ismajli (vice-captain)	(1996-09-30) 30 September 1996 (age 28)	44	3	Empoli
25	2DF	Adrian Bajrami	(2002-04-05) 5 April 2002 (age 22)	3	0	Benfica
27	2DF	Andi Hadroj	(1999-02-22) 22 February 1999 (age 26)	3	0	Polissya Zhytomyr
8	3MF	Kristjan Asllani	(2002-03-09) 9 March 2002 (age 22)	29	3	Internazionale
10	3MF	Nedim Bajrami	(1999-02-28) 28 February 1999 (age 25)	32	6	Rangers
14	3MF	Qazim Laçi	(1996-01-19) 19 January 1996 (age 29)	36	4	Sparta Prague
17	3MF	Ernest Muçi	(2001-03-19) 19 March 2001 (age 23)	15	3	Beşiktaş
20	3MF	Ylber Ramadani	(1996-04-12) 12 April 1996 (age 28)	44	1	Lecce
22	3MF	Amir Abrashi (3rd captain)	(1990-03-27) 27 March 1990 (age 34)	51	1	Grasshoppers
26	3MF	Feta Fetai	(2005-05-11) 11 May 2005 (age 19)	0	0	Lokomotiva Zagreb
7	4FW	Indrit Tuci	(2000-09-14) 14 September 2000 (age 24)	4	0	Sparta Prague
9	4FW	Jasir Asani	(1995-05-19) 19 May 1995 (age 29)	22	5	Gwangju
11	4FW	Myrto Uzuni	(1995-05-31) 31 May 1995 (age 29)	38	5	Austin FC
15	4FW	Taulant Seferi	(1996-11-15) 15 November 1996 (age 28)	26	3	Bodrum
16	4FW	Arbnor Muja	(1998-11-29) 29 November 1998 (age 26)	5	0	Samsunspor
19	4FW	Mirlind Daku	(1998-01-01) 1 January 1998 (age 27)	9	1	Rubin Kazan
21	4FW	Arbër Hoxha	(1998-10-06) 6 October 1998 (age 26)	11	0	Dinamo Zagreb

Recent call-ups

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

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Etrit Berisha	(1989-03-10) 10 March 1989 (age 35)	81	0	Unattached	v.  Spain, 24 June 2024
DF	Berat Gjimshiti	(1993-02-19) 19 February 1993 (age 32)	61	1	Atalanta	v.  Czechia, 16 November 2024INJ
DF	Marash Kumbulla	(2000-02-08) 8 February 2000 (age 25)	22	0	Espanyol	v.  Czechia, 16 November 2024INJ
DF	Naser Aliji	(1993-12-27) 27 December 1993 (age 31)	14	0	Dinamo City	v.  Spain, 24 June 2024
DF	Frédéric Veseli	(1992-11-20) 20 November 1992 (age 32)	45	0	Südtirol	v.  Sweden, 25 March 2024
MF	Keidi Bare	(1997-08-28) 28 August 1997 (age 27)	29	2	Real Zaragoza	v.  Czechia, 16 November 2024INJ
MF	Adrion Pajaziti	(2002-11-16) 16 November 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Gorica	v.  Georgia, 14 October 2024INJ
MF	Medon Berisha	(2003-10-21) 21 October 2003 (age 21)	3	0	Lecce	v.  Georgia, 10 September 2024INJ
MF	Sebastjan Spahiu	(1999-10-30) 30 October 1999 (age 25)	1	0	Mes Rafsanjan	v.  Georgia, 10 September 2024
FW	Rey Manaj	(1997-02-24) 24 February 1997 (age 27)	39	8	Sivasspor	v.  Czechia, 16 November 2024INJ
FW	Agim Zeka	(1998-09-06) 6 September 1998 (age 26)	0	0	Partizani	v.  Georgia, 10 September 2024
FW	Armando Broja	(2001-09-10) 10 September 2001 (age 23)	23	5	Everton	v.  Ukraine, 7 September 2024INJ
FW	Arbnor Muçolli	(1999-09-15) 15 September 1999 (age 25)	6	0	Göteborg	v.  Sweden, 25 March 2024INJ
Notes INJ = It is not part of the current squad due to injury.

Records

Main article: Albania national football team records and statistics

See also: List of Albania international footballers and List of Albania national football team captains

As of 11 October 2024.^[79]

Players in bold are still active with Albania.

Most appearances

Lorik Cana is Albania's most capped player with 93 appearances.

Rank	Player	Caps	Goals	Period
1	Lorik Cana	93	1	2003–2016
2	Elseid Hysaj	89	2	2013–present
3	Etrit Berisha	81	0	2012–present
4	Altin Lala	79	3	1998–2011
5	Klodian Duro	77	4	2001–2011
6	Erjon Bogdani	75	18	1996–2013
	Ervin Skela	75	13	2000–2011
8	Ansi Agolli	73	3	2005–2017
	Foto Strakosha	73	0	1990–2004
10	Odise Roshi	71	5	2011–2023

Top goalscorers

Rank	Player	Goals	Caps	Average	Period
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	Hamdi Salihi	11	50	0.22	2006–2015
	Altin Rraklli	11	63	0.17	1992–2005
8	Sokol Kushta	10	31	0.32	1987–1996
	Igli Tare	10	68	0.15	1997–2007
10	Bekim Balaj	9	48	0.19	2012–2022

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Not a FIFA member										Not a FIFA member
1934 to 1962	Did not participate										Did not participate
1966	Did not qualify										4th	6	0	1	5	2	12
1970	Entry not accepted[80]										Entry not accepted
1974	Did not qualify										4th	6	1	0	5	3	13
1978	Did not participate										Did not participate
1982	Did not qualify										4th	8	1	0	7	4	22
1986											3rd	6	1	2	3	6	9
1990											4th	6	0	0	6	3	15
1994											7th	12	1	2	9	6	26
1998											6th	10	1	1	8	7	20
2002											5th	8	1	0	7	5	14
2006											5th	12	4	1	7	11	20
2010											5th	10	1	4	5	6	13
2014											5th	10	3	2	5	9	11
2018											3rd	10	4	1	5	10	13
2022											3rd	10	6	0	4	12	12
2026	To be determined										To be determined
2030 (Anniversary match hosts)	To be determined										To be determined
2034	To be determined										To be determined
Total	—	0/21	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		13/21	114	24	14	76	84	200

UEFA European Championship

Main article: Albania at the UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship record											Qualifying record
Year	Round	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1960	Did not participate										Did not participate
1964	Did not qualify										Round of 16	4	3	0	1	7	4
1968											3rd	4	0	1	3	0	12
1972											4th	6	1	1	4	5	9
1976	Did not participate										Did not participate
1980
1984	Did not qualify										5th	8	0	2	6	4	14
1988											4th	6	0	0	6	2	17
1992											5th	7	1	0	6	2	21
1996											6th	10	2	2	6	10	16
2000											5th	10	1	4	5	8	14
2004											4th	8	2	2	4	11	15
2008											5th	12	2	5	5	12	18
2012											5th	10	2	3	5	7	14
2016	Group stage	18th	3	1	0	2	1	3	Squad		2nd	8	4	2	2	10	5
2020	Did not qualify										4th	10	4	1	5	16	14
2024	Group stage	21st	3	0	1	2	3	5	Squad		1st	8	4	3	1	12	4
2028	To be determined										To be determined
2032
Total	Group stage	2/17	6	1	1	4	4	8	—		14/17	111	26	26	59	100	177

Albania's European Championship record
First match	Albania 0–1 Switzerland  (Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, France; 11 June 2016)
Biggest win	Romania 0–1 Albania  (Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon, France; 19 June 2016)
Biggest defeat	France 2–0 Albania  (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France; 15 June 2016)
Best result	Group stage in 2016 and 2024
Worst result

UEFA Nations League

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	C	1	3rd	4	1	0	3	1	8		34th		2019	Did not qualify
2020–21	C	4	1st	6	3	2	1	8	4		35th		2021
2022–23	B	2	3rd	4	0	2	2	4	6		27th		2023
2024–25	B	1	4th	6	2	1	3	4	6		29th		2025
2026–27	C	To be determined											2027
2028–29	To be determined												2029
Total				20	6	5	9	17	24	27th		Total		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

*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 Olympic Games

Olympic Games record											Qualification record
Year	Result	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1908 to 1936	Team did not exist										Team did not exist
1948 to 1960	Did not participate										Did not participate
1964	Did not qualify										PR	2	0	0	2	0	2
1968	Did not participate										Did not participate
1972	Did not qualify										PO	2	0	0	2	2	4
1976 to 1988	Did not participate										Did not participate
Since 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

Other tournaments

Year	Round	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
Balkan Cup
1946	Champions	1st	3	2	0	1	6	4	Squad
1947	Fifth place	5th	4	0	0	4	2	13
1948	Fifth place	5th	3	1	2	0	1	0
Malta International Tournament
1998	Third place	3rd	3	0	2	1	3	6
2000	Champions	1st	3	3	0	0	5	0
Bahrain Shoot Soccer Tournament
2002[81][82]	Third place	3rd	3	0	2	1	1	4
Total	Best: Champions	6/6	19	6	6	7	18	27	—

FIFA rankings

As of November 2024^[83]

  Best Ranking    Worst Ranking    Best Mover    Worst Mover  

Albania's FIFA world rankings
Rank		Year	Pld	Best		Worst
				Rank	Move	Rank	Move
	65	2024	13	64	2	67	2
	62	2023	9	59	3	68	3
	66	2022	11	65	1	69	1
	66	2021	12	63	3	69	3
	66	2020	7	66	3	69	3
	66	2019	9	61	2	66	4
	60	2018	9	56	2	60	3
	62	2017	9	51	9	71	12
	49	2016	12	35	5	49	10
	38	2015	7	22	15	63	7
	58	2014	9	45	25	70	16
	57	2013	8	37	16	71	13
	63	2012	9	58	17	97	10
	74	2011	11	50	23	75	14
	65	2010	9	58	13	97	7
	96	2009	9	78	3	98	11
	81	2008	7	73	19	102	18
	80	2007	11	66	11	88	12
	87	2006	6	62	20	88	13
	82	2005	10	82	7	93	4
	86	2004	8	86	5	94	5
	89	2003	11	86	13	101	5
	93	2002	9	92	4	97	5
	96	2001	7	74	1	96	6
	72	2000	8	72	13	94	6
	83	1999	8	83	15	95	2
	106	1998	8	97	14	109	8
	116	1997	7	113	8	124	4
	116	1996	5	90	6	116	12
	91	1995	8	87	13	106	6
	100	1994	5	93	9	113	11
	92	1993	7	91	1	93	6
	86	1992		86		86

Head-to-head record

As of 16 November 2024 after the match against Czech Republic.

Key

	Positive balance (more Wins)
	Neutral balance (Wins = Losses)
	Negative balance (more Losses)

Opponent	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %	Reference
Algeria[A]	2	1	1	0	4	1	+3	50%	H2H results
Andorra	7	5	1	1	11	4	+7	71%	H2H results
Argentina	1	0	0	1	0	4	−4	0%	H2H results
Armenia	6	4	1	1	10	5	+5	66%	H2H results
Austria	7	0	0	7	2	19	−17	0%	H2H results
Azerbaijan	6	4	1	1	8	4	+4	67%	H2H results
Bahrain	1	0	0	1	0	3	−3	0%	H2H results
Belarus	7	3	2	2	10	10	0	42%	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%	H2H results
Cameroon	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0%	H2H results
Croatia	1	0	1	0	2	2	0	0%	H2H results
China	2	0	1	1	3	4	−1	0%	H2H results
Chile	1	0	0	1	0	3	−3	0%	H2H results
Cuba	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0%	H2H results
Cyprus	6	2	2	2	12	7	+5	33%	H2H results
Czech Republic[B]	10	3	2	5	11	16	−7	33.33%	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	6	0	0	6	1	19	−18	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%	H2H results
France	9	1	1	7	4	20	−16	11%	H2H results
Georgia	17	4	4	9	14	24	−10	27.78%	H2H results
Germany[C]	14	0	1	13	10	38	−28	0%	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%	H2H results
Iran	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1	100%	H2H results
Israel	6	2	0	4	6	9	−3	33%	H2H results
Italy	5	0	0	5	2	9	−7	0%	H2H results
Jordan	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0%	H2H results
Kazakhstan	4	3	1	0	6	2	+4	75%	H2H results
Kosovo	7	5	1	1	13	9	+1	71%	H2H results[60][85][86]
Latvia	5	0	5	0	6	6	0	0%	H2H results
Liechtenstein	5	5	0	0	12	0	+12	100%	H2H results
Lithuania	6	2	1	3	7	7	0	33%	H2H results
Luxembourg	7	3	1	3	8	7	+1	42%	H2H results
North Macedonia	10	2	4	4	7	12	−5	20%	H2H results
Malta	8	5	2	1	14	3	+11	62%	H2H results
Mexico	1	0	0	1	0	4	−4	0%	H2H results
Moldova	8	6	2	0	17	3	+14	75%	H2H results
Montenegro	3	3	0	0	9	2	+7	100%	H2H results H2H results*
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%	H2H results
Norway	5	1	2	2	5	6	−1	20%	H2H results
Poland	15	2	3	10	10	20	−10	7%	H2H results
Portugal	7	1	1	5	5	13	−8	14%	H2H results
Qatar	3	2	0	1	5	3	+2	66%	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%	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]	7	1	1	5	7	15	−8	14%	H2H results
Slovenia	7	1	2	4	2	6	−4	14%	H2H results
Spain	9	0	0	9	3	32	−29	0%	H2H results
Sweden	6	1	1	4	5	11	−6	20%	H2H results
Switzerland	7	0	1	6	4	12	−8	0%	H2H results
Turkey	12	4	2	6	14	13	+1	33%	H2H results
Ukraine	7	1	1	5	6	14	−8	14%	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
68 nations	395	110	82	203	384	592	−208	27.91%	All H2H results

Notes

1. Includes match against  Algeria Olympic.
2. Includes matches against  Czechoslovakia.
3. Includes matches against  West Germany.
4. Includes awarded matches at the Euro 1964 qualifying.^[84]
5. Includes matches against  Romania Olympic 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

• Balkan Cup
  • Champions (1): 1946

Friendly

• Malta International Football Tournament
  • Champions (1): 2000^[87]

See also

• Albanian Football Association
• Football in Albania
• Tifozat Kuq e Zi
• Albania national youth football team
• Albania national under-23 football team (defunct)
• Albania national under-21 football team
• Albania national under-20 football team
• Albania national under-19 football team
• Albania national under-18 football team
• Albania national under-17 football team
• Albania national under-16 football team
• Albania national under-15 football team

Notes and references

Notes

1. The alternative name of the Albania national team that was used during this match.^[58]
2. Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine are required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice.^[76]

References

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External links

• Official website (in Albanian)
• Albania at UEFA
• Albania at FIFA
• Tifozat Kuq e Zi / Red and Black Fan Club
• RSSSF – Albania national football team international matches