Kosovo defeat Slovakia to reach brink of historic 2026 World Cup qualification
Kosovo are just one victory away from reaching the 2026 World Cup following a dramatic 4-3 playoff semi-final win against Slovakia.
The Balkan nation will host Turkiye at Prishtina Stadium on Tuesday with a place at the expanded 48-team tournament on the line.
Victory would make them the youngest country to ever participate in the global showpiece.
Having only declared independence from Serbia in 2008, official Fifa membership was granted to the football association just eight years ago.
Defying the odds in European qualifying
Reaching this stage represents a monumental achievement for a squad that finished bottom of their qualifying groups for both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
The fast-improving side progressed to the playoffs after finishing above established teams Sweden and Slovenia in their group.
Goals from Veldin Hodza, Fisnik Asllani, Florent Muslija and Kreshnik Hajrizi secured a stunning upset on Slovakian soil in a chaotic semi-final encounter.
Record-breaking minnows
A population of just 1.6 million people means successful qualification would make them the sixth-smallest nation to ever reach the finals.
Only two smaller European teams, Iceland and Northern Ireland, have previously competed on international football’s biggest stage.
Their all-time top goalscorer, 31-year-old Vedat Muriqi, is remarkably 13 years older than the independent country he represents.
A potential Group D showdown awaits
If the home side can overcome Turkiye next week, a challenging Group D assignment awaits them in North America.
The potential debutants would face Australia, Paraguay and co-hosts the United States in the opening phase.
Given their recent giant-killing exploits, the youngest nation in world football may well fancy their chances against those established opponents.
