Ten years ago, Kosovo had never played a World Cup qualifier - now they are 90 minutes away from qualifying for this summer's finals. The Balkan nation, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and was officially recognised by Fifa and Uefa in 2016, hosts Turkey in Tuesday's play-off. Win and Kosovo, 78th in the world rankings, will reach the 48-nation World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The game will take place at a packed Fadil Vokrri Stadium in the capital city Pristina - although most people will be left watching on television. "We have a stadium only for 13,000 spectators, but if it were possible, there would be 100,000," said Kosovo coach Franco Foda after Thursday's 4-3 away win against Slovakia in the play-off semi-finals.

Source: BBC March 31, 2026 08:43 UTC