The Kosovo national football team (; ) 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.
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, 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, Bajrami and Henci.
Yugoslav era
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. 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.
During UN administration
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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. Some players, especially Kosovo Serbs as Milan Biševac and Miloš Krasić, continued to play for Serbia.
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. 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.
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. Before the match, some players of Kosovo posed with guns at a shooting range, causing a stir in Serbia. On the eve of the match, supporters of Kosovo burned the flag of Serbia. This incident prompted the Football Association of Serbia to request that FIFA revoked Kosovo's right to play international friendlies.
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, while the biggest defeat a 1–6 against Turkey.
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. On 3 May 2016, at the Ordinary Congress, Kosovo was accepted into UEFA after members voted 28–24 in favor of Kosovo. Ten days later, Kosovo was accepted in FIFA during their 66th Congress in Mexico, with 141 votes in favour and 23 against.
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. In their first game, the Kosovars held host Finland to a 1–1 draw, 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, where the Kosovars topped their group undefeated. 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. 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. Although Kosovo failed go qualify directly, they advanced to the qualifying play-offs because they had won their Nations League group. Kosovo was drawn against North Macedonia in the play-off semi-final, which they lost 1–2 in Skopje.
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. In the qualification campaign for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Kosovo finished last. 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, Northern Ireland, and losing to Greece. 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.
In the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League, Kosovo competed in Group C2, alongside Cyprus, Lithuania and Romania. 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. 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. The decision came after tensions escalated during the match, involving clashes between players and fans, object-throwing, and physical altercations on the pitch, leading UEFA to end the game prematurely and issue disciplinary action. Kosovo finished second in the group with 13 points, securing a spot in the promotion play-offs to League B.
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. The first leg, played at home in Pristina on 20 March 2025, ended in a 2–1 victory for Kosovo. 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.
In June 2025, Kosovo played two friendly matches at home, recording victories 5–2 against Armenia, and 4–2 against Comoros, 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, before responding with a 2–0 home win over Sweden in Pristina. In October 2025, Kosovo drew goalless at home against Slovenia, and followed it with a 1–0 away victory over Sweden in Gothenburg. 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, and drew 1–1 at home against Switzerland.
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.
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. "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, 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.
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. On 5 February 2026, Kosovo signed a two-year contract with the German sportswear company Adidas, making it the national team's current kit supplier.