Albania National Football Team — Schedule, Players and Results
Albania’s senior men’s national team is between competition phases. The World Cup qualifying run ended with the March 2026 play-off, and the next full set of confirmed fixtures is the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League. That makes this page most useful when it keeps the latest results, the next dates, and the current player pool in one place, with clear fixture tracking, real squad names, and recent match outcomes that are easy to scan.
Next Confirmed Block
UEFA Nations League 2026/27
Group C1: Belarus, Finland, and San Marino.
Current Schedule and Upcoming Fixtures
Albania’s World Cup group phase closed in November 2025, and the team then moved into the March 2026 UEFA play-off round. That path ended with a 2–1 loss to Poland on 26 March 2026, so the next full set of confirmed senior fixtures is now the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League. For readers who want the current schedule rather than an older qualifier list, this is the fixture block that matters most from here.
The six Nations League dates already set for Albania place the team in Group C1. That means matches against Belarus, San Marino, and Finland across September, October, and November 2026.
| Date | Match | Competition | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Sep 2026 | Albania vs Belarus | UEFA Nations League | Group C1 |
| 29 Sep 2026 | San Marino vs Albania | UEFA Nations League | Group C1 |
| 03 Oct 2026 | Finland vs Albania | UEFA Nations League | 15:00 CET |
| 06 Oct 2026 | Albania vs San Marino | UEFA Nations League | Group C1 |
| 12 Nov 2026 | Albania vs Finland | UEFA Nations League | Group C1 |
| 15 Nov 2026 | Belarus vs Albania | UEFA Nations League | 18:00 CET |
Useful context: Albania’s latest two senior matches came only five days apart in March 2026: the play-off semi-final against Poland, followed by a friendly against Ukraine. That detail often gets lost on generic fixture pages, but it matters if you are trying to separate competitive results from post-window friendlies.
Players Who Shape the Team
Under head coach Sylvinho, Albania still leans on a familiar spine. Thomas Strakosha remains one of the central names in goal, while Berat Gjimshiti, Ardian Ismajli, Elseid Hysaj, and Mario Mitaj help define the back line. In midfield, Kristjan Asllani, Ylber Ramadani, Nedim Bajrami, and Qazim Laci give the team control, passing range, and movement between the lines. Up front, Albania’s most watched names include Armando Broja, Rey Manaj, Myrto Uzuni, Jasir Asani, and Mirlind Daku.
On UEFA’s European Qualifiers squad page, Rey Manaj finished as Albania’s top scorer in that campaign with 3 goals, while Kristjan Asllani added 2. Those numbers matter because they show Albania’s scoring spread: the side is not built around only one finisher, and goals can arrive from both the front line and midfield.
Core Names Through the Middle
- Thomas Strakosha
- Berat Gjimshiti
- Ardian Ismajli
- Kristjan Asllani
- Ylber Ramadani
- Nedim Bajrami
Attackers to Watch
- Armando Broja
- Rey Manaj
- Myrto Uzuni
- Jasir Asani
- Mirlind Daku
- Arber Hoxha
Current Senior Squad by Position
The names below follow the current senior men’s team list shown on the Albanian Football Federation page. Matchday squads can change from one international window to another, but this list gives a clear picture of the player pool around the senior side right now.
Open the Current Senior Squad by Position
- Goalkeepers: Thomas Strakosha, Elhan Kastrati, Mario Dajsinani
- Defenders: Elseid Hysaj, Ivan Balliu, Ardian Ismajli, Berat Gjimshiti, Stavro Pilo, Naser Aliji, Arlind Ajeti, Klisman Cake, Mario Mitaj, Bujar Pllana
- Midfielders: Anis Mehmeti, Adrion Pajaziti, Ylber Ramadani, Juljan Shehu, Qazim Laci, Nedim Bajrami, Kristjan Asllani, Ernest Muci, Arber Hoxha, Nazmi Gripshi
- Forwards: Rey Manaj, Armando Broja, Myrto Uzuni, Mirlind Daku, Jasir Asani, Indrit Tuci
- Head Coach: Sylvinho
Recent Results
Albania’s latest results show a team that stayed competitive deep into the World Cup cycle, took wins away from home against Serbia and Andorra, and then fell short in the March 2026 play-off. Putting those matches in order makes the recent run much easier to read than many live-score pages do.
| Date | Match | Competition | Result for Albania |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2026 | Ukraine vs Albania | Friendly | Loss, 0–1 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Poland vs Albania | European Qualifiers Play-off Semi-final | Loss, 1–2 |
| 16 Nov 2025 | Albania vs England | European Qualifiers | Loss, 0–2 |
| 13 Nov 2025 | Andorra vs Albania | European Qualifiers | Win, 1–0 |
| 11 Oct 2025 | Serbia vs Albania | European Qualifiers | Win, 1–0 |
| 09 Sep 2025 | Albania vs Latvia | European Qualifiers | Win, 1–0 |
The run above also shows why Albania reached the play-off stage in the first place: the side collected narrow but valuable wins in the second half of the group campaign, then carried that position into March 2026 before the loss to Poland ended the World Cup route.
World Cup Qualifying Numbers
UEFA’s team stats page for Albania in the 2026 European Qualifiers paints a balanced picture. Albania scored 8 goals, conceded 7, kept 5 clean sheets, posted 51.67% average possession, and finished with 86.12% passing accuracy. Those figures suggest a side that kept matches controlled and often tight, even when the scoreline stayed narrow.
| Category | Figure |
|---|---|
| Goals Scored | 8 |
| Goals Conceded | 7 |
| Clean Sheets | 5 |
| Average Possession | 51.67% |
| Passing Accuracy | 86.12% |
| Saves | 21 |
What Stands Out Most: Albania’s recent profile is built less on high-scoring matches and more on shape, discipline, and low-margin results. That helps explain why wins over Latvia, Serbia, and Andorra were enough to keep the team alive until the play-off round.
Sources
- UEFA Nations League League Phase Fixtures by Team — Official fixture page for Albania’s 2026/27 Nations League schedule.
- UEFA Albania Squad — Official squad page with player positions, ages, and qualifying appearances.
- UEFA Albania Matches — Official match log showing recent fixtures and results.
- UEFA Albania Statistics — Official team numbers for the 2026 European Qualifiers.
- FSHF Kombëtarja — Official Albanian Football Federation page listing the current senior men’s team and coaching staff.
- FIFA: The Football Association of Albania — Official FIFA association page with background on Albania in FIFA competitions.
- ATA: Albania Finalizes Preparations for World Cup 2026 Qualifier Against Serbia — Albanian state news agency coverage tied to the national team camp.
- Epoka University: The President of FSHF Visits Epoka University — University source with discussion around Albanian football and the national team’s future.