The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, visited the camp of the Kosovo national football team to congratulate the team on reaching the play-off final for the 2026 World Cup and to offer support ahead of this historic challenge against Turkey national football team.
Initially, the president of the Football Federation of Kosovo, Agim Ademi, thanked Prime Minister Kurti, the Minister of Sports Blerim Gashiani, and Deputy Minister Daulina Osmani for their continuous support for the national team.
In his speech to the players and staff, Prime Minister Kurti congratulated the “Dardanians” on their historic victory in Bratislava, emphasizing that the journey to the final is fully deserved.
He highlighted the team’s statistics and performances during this cycle, underlining that “10 goals scored in 7 matches throughout this journey are the best proof that this final is more than deserved”.
Kurti emphasized the team’s hard work, dedication, and unity, noting that the national team has recorded an impressive run of results, including victories against Sweden, Slovenia, Iceland, and Slovakia over the past year.
Speaking about the opponent, he stressed that Turkey is a quality team, but also urged the players to believe in themselves:
“Do not look at the opponent more than you look at yourselves. You have a strong opponent on Tuesday evening, but they have an even stronger opponent than you — and that is you, the boys of Kosovo”.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the significant progress of the state of Kosovo over the past decade, linking it with the development of sports and international success. He added that qualification for the World Cup would represent an extraordinary step for the country, placing Kosovo at the center of global attention. According to him, millions of viewers around the world follow this event, and through the national team there is an opportunity to present Kosovo’s history and talent on the biggest stage.
“Through you as a team, we have the opportunity to place Kosovo and its history of resilience and talent before the eyes of all humanity. Behind you is not only a state, but an entire nation. There are fans in the stadium, your families, citizens in every settlement, village, and city, and all Albanians around the world. This massive support is your strength — take it with you onto the pitch. And do not forget, the belief in victory in this final has been built by you as a team, with the coach and the entire leading and supporting staff”, Kurti added.
He further emphasized the extraordinary support the team enjoys from fans and the wider Albanian nation:
“Behind you is not only a state, but an entire nation… This massive support is your strength — take it with you onto the pitch”.
He concluded his speech with a motivating message, encouraging the team to believe in themselves and give their maximum:
“This is the moment to write your history and that of Kosovo. Go out onto the field and show who you are. Play freely, fight for each other, and give your maximum in every minute of the game. Best of luck to us!”.
On behalf of the national team, captain Vedat Muriqi thanked the Prime Minister, emphasizing the team’s full commitment:
“We always give our maximum, and we undoubtedly do this for our flag and our state, so that it is recognized as much as possible in the eyes of the world. I strongly believe that our flag and state will be part of the World Cup in America. Together, I am sure we will achieve success”.
Meanwhile, the national team head coach Franco Foda thanked for the institutional support, highlighting the importance of unity and motivation ahead of the decisive match. He stated that this support makes everyone proud and added:
“All together we have a big dream — we want to qualify for the World Cup. Now we have one more match ahead, and you can be sure that this national team will give everything on Tuesday to win this match”.
