Kosovo national under-19 football team
| Nickname | Dardanët (Dardanians) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Federata e Futbollit e Kosovës (FFK) | |||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | |||
| Head coach | Albert Bunjaku | |||
| Captain | Rotation | |||
| Most caps | Dior Gërbovci (13)[a] | |||
| Top scorer | Eliot Bujupi Leotrim Kryeziu (5)[a] | |||
| Home stadium | FFK National Educational Camp | |||
| FIFA code | KOS[1] | |||
| ||||
| First international | ||||
| Austria 1–0 Kosovo (Mittersill, Austria; 3 October 2017) | ||||
| Biggest win | ||||
| Unofficial Kosovo 7–1 Saxony (Hajvalia, Kosovo; 4 June 2025) Official Ukraine 0–4 Kosovo (Ta' Qali, Malta; 18 November 2023) | ||||
| Biggest defeat | ||||
| Portugal 5–0 Kosovo (Porto, Portugal; 21 March 2018) | ||||
The Kosovo national under-19 football team (Albanian: Kombëtarja e futbollit të Kosovës nën 19 vjeç; Serbian: Фудбалска репрезентација Косова до 19. године, romanized: Fudbalska reprezentacija Kosova do 19. godine) is the national under-19 football team of Kosovo and is controlled by the Football Federation of Kosovo.
History
Permitting by FIFA to play friendlies
On 6 February 2013, FIFA gave the permission to play international friendly games against other member associations.[2] Whereas, on 13 January 2014, there was a change of this permit that forbade Kosovo to play against the national teams of the countries of the former Yugoslavia. Club teams were also allowed to play friendlies and this happened after a FIFA Emergency Committee meeting. However, it was stipulated that clubs and representative teams of the Football Federation of Kosovo may not display national symbols as flags, emblems, etc. or play national anthems. The go-ahead was given after meetings between the Football Association of Serbia and Sepp Blatter.
Membership in UEFA and FIFA
In September 2015 at an UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Malta was approved the request from the federation to the admission in UEFA to the next Ordinary Congress to be held in Budapest.[3] On 3 May 2016, at the Ordinary Congress. Kosovo were accepted into UEFA after members voted 28–24 in favor of Kosovo.[4][5] Ten days later, Kosovo was accepted in FIFA during their 66th congress in Mexico with 141 votes in favour and 23 against.[6]
Team image
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.[7] On 23 February 2022, Kosovo signed a three-year contract with the Italian sportswear company Erreà, making it the team's kit supplier.[8] Starting from June 2026, the German sportswear company Adidas will become the team's next kit supplier.[9]
Kit sponsorship
| Kit supplier | Period | Contract | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Announcement | Duration | ||
| Kelme | 2016–2018 | 5 October 2016 | 2016–2020 (4 years) |
| Fourteen | 2018–2022 | 16 June 2018 | 2018–2022 (4 years) |
| Erreà | 2023–2026 | 23 February 2023 | 2023–2026 (3 years) |
| Adidas | 2026–present | 5 February 2026 | To be determined |
Fixtures and results
2025
| 8 October UEFA Euro 2026 qualification | Norway | 4–0 | Kosovo | Skien, Norway |
| 15:00 | Røssing-Lelesiit 64', 88' (pen.) Nilsen-Modebe 82', 90+1' |
Stadium: Odd Stadion Attendance: 251 Referee: Matteo Marchetti (Italy) |
| 11 October UEFA Euro 2026 qualification | Germany | 5–0 | Kosovo | Skien, Norway |
| 19:00 | Souza 9', 52' Erlein 27' Onyeka 50', 88' |
Stadium: Odd Stadion Attendance: 137 Referee: Marc Nagtegaal (Netherlands) |
| 14 October UEFA Euro 2026 qualification | Kosovo | 3–0 | Armenia | Sandefjord, Norway |
| 17:00 | Ahmeti 12' Rrahmani 36' Abdullahu 55' |
Stadium: Sandefjord Arena Attendance: 100 Referee: Marc Nagtegaal (Netherlands) |
2026
| 24 March UEFA Euro 2027 qualification | Armenia | v | Kosovo | Manavgat, Turkey |
| 11:00 | Report | Stadium: Arslan Zeki Demirci Sports Complex Referee: Szabolcs Kovacs (Romania) |
| 27 March UEFA Euro 2027 qualification | Kosovo | v | Gibraltar | Manavgat, Turkey |
| 11:00 | Report | Stadium: Arslan Zeki Demirci Sports Complex Referee: Szabolcs Kovacs (Romania) |
| 30 March UEFA Euro 2027 qualification | Kosovo | v | Turkey | Manavgat, Turkey |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: Arslan Zeki Demirci Sports Complex Referee: Matteo Marchetti (Italy) |
Players
Current squad
- The following players were called up for the UEFA Euro 2027 qualifications, on 24, 27 and 30 March 2026.[10]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Club[b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Ismajl Hasimi | 1 April 2008 | Prishtina U19 | |
| GK | Arlind Qela | 13 December 2008 | Eintracht Braunschweig U19 | |
| DF | Leka Podvorica | 19 February 2008 | Famalicão U19 | |
| DF | Diart Gashi | 3 February 2008 | Hertha BSC U19 | |
| DF | Besar Dema | 26 February 2008 | Young Boys U19 | |
| DF | Redon Zekaj | 17 March 2008 | Ballkani U19 | |
| DF | Edon Krasniqi | 2 April 2008 | 1860 Munich U19 | |
| DF | Aldon Osmani | 7 October 2008 | 2 Korriku U19 | |
| DF | Albion Rashica | 30 December 2008 | Inter Turku II | |
| MF | Leonit Gabrica | 6 January 2008 | Prishtina U19 | |
| MF | Alban Mehmetaj | 7 January 2008 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern U19 | |
| MF | Donart Ahmeti | 10 January 2008 | Prishtina U19 | |
| MF | Agon Uka | 1 September 2008 | Jönköpings Södra | |
| MF | Omer Shala | 4 September 2008 | 2 Korriku U19 | |
| MF | Ardian Sopaj | 4 October 2008 | Malisheva U21 | |
| MF | Orges Maçastena | 8 November 2008 | Maryland United | |
| MF | Bleonit Jashari | unknown | Inter Turku U19 | |
| FW | Loris Balaj | 12 April 2008 | Prishtina U19 | |
| FW | Lorik Mehmeti | 5 June 2008 | Prishtina U19 | |
| FW | Rin Ahmeti | 9 August 2008 | Prishtina U19 | |
Recent call-ups
Competition records
UEFA European Championship
| UEFA European Championship record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Era | Year | Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
| FIFA | 1951 to 1954 | Part of Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro | N/a | |||||||||||||||
| UEFA | 1955 to 1980 | |||||||||||||||||
| U18 | 1981 to 1999 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2000 to 2001 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | ||||||||||||||||
| U19 | 2002 to 2015 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016 to 2017 | Could not enter | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Did not qualify | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 11 | |||||||||||
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | |||||||||||
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 7 | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | ||||||||||||
| Total | — | 0/18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 24 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 23 | 40 | |||
See also
- Men's
- Women's
Notes and references
Notes
References
- ^ "Football Federation of Kosovo". Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
- ^ "FIFA Circular no.1342" (PDF). FIFA. 6 February 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 June 2019.
- ^ "UEFA shqyrton në mars të vitit të ardhshëm anëtarësimin e Kosovës" [UEFA reviews in March next year Kosovo's membership] (in Albanian). Voice of America. 19 September 2015.
- ^ "Football Federation of Kosovo joins UEFA". UEFA. 3 May 2016. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017.
- ^ "Kosovo accepted as member of Uefa after Congress vote". The Guardian. 3 May 2016.
- ^ "Zyrtare: Kosova pranohet në FIFA, jemi të barabartë me të gjitha vendet e botës" [Official: Kosovo is admitted to FIFA, we are equal to all countries in the world] (in Albanian). Telegrafi. 13 May 2016.
- ^ "Nënshkruhet marrëveshja mes FFK-së dhe 'Kelme' për fanellat e Përfaqësueses së Kosovës (Foto/Video)" [Agreement signed between FFK and Kelme for the Kosovo national team kits (Photo/Video)] (in Albanian). Telegrafi. 5 October 2016. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
- ^ "FFK lidh marrëveshje me kompaninë e veshjeve sportive 'ERREA'" [FFK signs an agreement with the sportswear company 'ERREÀ'] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 23 February 2022. Archived from the original on 23 February 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
- ^ "New jersey presented, Kosovo to be outfitted by Adidas". Telegrafi. 5 February 2026.
- ^ "Përzgjedhësi i Kombëtares U19, Albert Bunjaku, ka publikuar listën e futbollistëve të ftuar për ndeshjet kualifikuese ndaj Armenisë U19, Gjibraltarit U19 dhe Turqisë U19" [The U19 National Team coach, Albert Bunjaku, has published the list of players invited for the qualifying matches against Armenia U19, Gibraltar U19 and Turkey U19]. Facebook (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 20 March 2026.[self-published]
External links
- Official website (in Albanian and English)
- Kosovo U19 News about the team