Albania women's national football team
| Nickname(s) | Kuqezinjtë (The Red and Blacks) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Federata Shqiptare e Futbollit (FSHF) | |||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | |||
| Head coach | Armir Grima | |||
| Captain | Albina Rrahmani | |||
| Most caps | Sara Maliqi (58)[1] | |||
| Top scorer | Megi Doçi (12) | |||
| Home stadium | Arena Kombëtare | |||
| FIFA code | ALB | |||
| ||||
| FIFA ranking | ||||
| Current | 73 (12 June 2025)[2] | |||
| Highest | 59 (December 2013) | |||
| Lowest | 81 (December 2015) | |||
| First international | ||||
| 1–0 Macedonia (Pogradec, Albania; 5 May 2011)[3] | ||||
| Biggest win | ||||
| 5–0 Armenia (Tirana, Albania; 21 October 2021) | ||||
| Biggest defeat | ||||
| 0–11 Norway (Durrës, Albania; 13 September 2014) | ||||
The Albania women's national football team (Albanian: Kombëtarja e futbollit të femrave të Shqipërisë) represents the country of Albania in international football and is controlled by the Albanian Football Association which is headquartered in the city of Tirana. The team is affiliated with UEFA and competes in the two major professional tournaments, the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship.
Women's football was long met with skepticism in Albania, and the first recorded tournament took place as late as 2007, before the FSHF formed the Albanian Women's National Championship in 2009, which is the only women's league in the country. The rise in popularity of the sport among women led to the formation of the Albania national team on 5th May, 2011, and they made their debut in a friendly match against Macedonia that ended in a 1–0 win. The current head coach is Armir Grimaj, replacing Altin Rraklli who was in charge from the formation in 2011 until 2016.
History
The Albanian women's national football team was formed in 2011 and made their debut in a friendly against Macedonia FYR on 5 May 2011 at the Gjorgji Kyçyku Stadium.[4] The match ended 1–0 with Albania's first win and midfielder Aurora Seranaj scoring the first goal for Albania.[4] The national team ended the year with their second win against Macedonia FYR away in Struga.[5]
On 15 May 2012, Albania faced Montenegro in Bar and won 4–2.[6] Three days later, the Albanian team won again with a rematch against Montenegro, winning 4–3 at the Loro Boriçi Stadium in Shkodër.[7] On 22 May, Albania encountered Macedonia FYR again, winning 2–0 with 2 goals from Suada Jashari.[8] The national team had so far been undefeated in 5 games, with 15 goals scored, and 6 goals conceded. On 29 August, The Albania national team participated in an unofficial football tournament held in Drama. The national team drew 1–1 with Amazons Drama[9] and lost 0–3 to Greece.[10]
Team image
Kits and crest
Kit suppliers
| Kit provider | Period |
|---|---|
| Legea | 2011 |
| Adidas | 2011–2016 |
| Macron | 2016–present |
Home stadium
The Elbasan Arena is currently the national stadium of the Albania women's national football team. The first home match in the country was played in the Gjorgji Kyçyku Stadium of Pogradec in May 2011.[4] Following the completion, the National Arena in Tirana will be the home venue of both the men's and women's national team.
In November 2013, Qemal Stafa Stadium was shut down by FIFA for not fulfilling international standards.[11] During the period of friendly games and the Euro qualifier with Greece in 2015, the women's team used the Loni Papuçiu Stadium in Fier to hold their matches. The Qemal Stafa Stadium held the match between France and Albania on 27 November 2015.
Results and fixtures
This Is the schedule of past & upcoming games for the Albania women's football team.
- Legend
Win Draw Lose Fixture
2024
| 25 October UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying play-offs | 0–5 | Norway | Shkodër, Albania | |
| 16:00 UTC+2 | Report | Stadium: Loro Boriçi Stadium Attendance: 2,185 Referee: Ana Maria Terteleac (Romania) |
| 29 October UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying play-offs | Norway | 9–0 | Oslo, Norway | |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Report | Stadium: Ullevaal Stadion |
| 3 December Friendly | Romania | 1-2 | Târgoviște, Romania | |
| 18:00 | Carp 43' |
|
Stadium: Eugen Popescu Stadium |
2025
| 21 February 2025 UEFA Nations League | 1–2 | Ukraine | Durrës, Albania | |
| 18:00 UTC+1 |
|
Report | Stadium: Niko Dovana Stadium Attendance: 2,520 Referee: Franziska Wildfeuer (Germany) |
| 25 February 2025 2025 Nations League B | Czech Republic | 5–1 | Strelecky Ostrov, České Budějovice | |
| 17:30 | Report | Attendance: 2,025 Referee: Kristina Georgieva (Bulgaria) |
| 4 April 2025 Nations League B | 4–0 | Croatia | Shkodër,Albania | |
| 16:00 | Report | Stadium: Loro Boriçi Stadium Attendance: 436 Referee: Alexandra Collin (France) |
| 8 April 2025 Nations League B | Croatia | 1–2 | Zagreb,Croatia | |
| 16:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: Sport Centre Rudes Attendance: 377 Referee: Maria Marotta (Italy) |
| 30 May 2025 UEFA Nations League | Ukraine | 2–1 | Varaždin, Croatia | |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Report |
|
Stadium: Stadion Varteks Attendance: 50 Referee: Caroline Lanssens (Belgium) |
| 3 June 2025 2025 Nations League B | 1–2 | Czech Republic | Loro Boriçi Stadium, Shkodër | |
| 19:00 |
|
Report | Attendance: 483 Referee: Michalina Diakow (Poland) |
Coaching staff
Current coaching staff
| Position | Name | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Armir Grima |
Manager history
- Altin Rraklli (5 May 2011 – 22 April 2016)
- Armir Grimaj (22 April 2016–present)[12]
Players
Current squad
- The following players were named to the squad for the UEFA Women's Nations League matches against Ukraine and Czech Republic on 30 May and 3 June 2025, respectively.[13]
- Caps and goals are correct as of 4 June 2024, after the match against Estonia.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | GK | Antigoni Hyska | 23 June 2003 | 4 | 0 | |
| 12 | GK | Rajmonda Spahija | ||||
| 12 | GK | Klesjana Spaho | ||||
| 1 | GK | Viona Rexhepi | 24 July 1996 | 27 | 0 | |
| 3 | DF | Arbenita Curraj | 28 July 1996 | 25 | 0 | |
| 21 | MF | Alma Hila | 2 February 2000 | 25 | 0 | |
| 2 | DF | Armera Tukaj | 25 May 2001 | 10 | 0 | |
| 5 | DF | Arbiona Bajraktari | 10 September 1996 | 21 | 0 | |
| MF | Klea Hamonikaj | 28 May 2003 | 0 | 0 | ||
| DF | Aidena Mustafa | 0 | ||||
| 6 | DF | Sara Maliqi | 9 October 1995 | 38 | 0 | |
| DF | Arlinda Kodra | 0 | ||||
| DF | Suzane Vuksani | 0 | ||||
| 14 | MF | Ezmiralda Franja | 4 February 1997 | 39 | 0 | |
| 11 | MF | Megi Doçi (captain) | 14 October 1996 | 37 | 9 | |
| MF | Mikaela Metalla | 22 October 2002 | 14 | 0 | ||
| 8 | MF | Ilarja Zarka | ||||
| FW | Mimoza Hamidi | 28 April 1998 | 17 | 3 | ||
| 10 | FW | Qëndresa Krasniqi | 28 June 1994 | 28 | 4 | |
| 8 | FW | Erjona Emërllahu | ||||
| 7 | FW | Fortesa Berisha | 19 June 2003 | 6 | 2 | |
| MF | Valentina Troka | 15 November 2002 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 17 | FW | Kristina Maksuti | 6 February 1993 | 23 | 5 | |
| 9 | FW | Esi Lufo | 10 September 2001 | 9 | 1 | |
Recent call-ups
- The following players have been called up for a squad within the last 12 months and are still available for selection.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Latest call-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DF | Luçije Gjini | 2 May 1994 | 46 | 4 | v. Luxembourg, 4 June 2024 | |
| DF | Matilda Gjergji | 21 May 2003 | 12 | 0 | v. Luxembourg, 4 June 2024 | |
| DF | Aglia Iliadhi | 30 November 2004 | 2 | 0 | v. Norway,29 October 2024 | |
| MF | Endrina Elezaj | 12 January 1997 | 2 | 0 | v. Czech Republic, 25 February 2025 | |
| DF | Kristina Hoxhaj | v. Czech Republic, 25 February 2025
| ||||
| DF | Leonora Dedgjonaj | 14 September 1999 | 2 | 0 | v. Croatia,8 April 2025 | |
| MF | Markela Bejleri | 28 May 2001 | 3 | 0 | v. Estonia, 9 April 2024 | |
| MF | Vesa Paqarizi | 2 March 2005 | 1 | 0 | v. Luxembourg, 4 June 2024 | |
| MF | Gresa Berisha | 26 April 1998 | 14 | 0 | v. Norway,29 October 2024 | |
| MF | Donika Dedaj | v. Romania,3 December 2024 | ||||
| MF | Eriola Delija | v. Czech Republic, 25 February 2025 | ||||
| MF | Stacey Qosja | v. Czech Republic, 25 February 2025 | ||||
| MF | Lavdije Begolli | v. Czech Republic, 25 February 2025 | ||||
| MF | Jehona Coka | 5 March 2005 | 0 | 0 | v. Czech Republic, 25 February 2025 | |
| MF | Gelda Kadiolli | v. Czech Republic, 25 February 2025 | ||||
| MF | Mesuare Begallo | 0 | v. Croatia,8 April 2025 | |||
| FW | Djellza Istrefaj | 29 May 2000 | 2 | 1 | v. Croatia,8 April 2025 | |
| FW | Klaudia Borci | 19 December 2005 | 3 | 0 | 2024 Visit Malta Tournament | |
| FW | Klesta Ago | 21 April 2007 | 0 | 0 | v. Luxembourg, 4 June 2024 | |
| FW | Fiorentina Troka | v. Norway,29 October 2024 | ||||
| FW | Viola Imeraj | v. Romania,3 December 2024 | ||||
| FW | Rreza Gashi | v. Romania,3 December 2024 | ||||
| DF | Xhesika Ndoj | 20 July 2007 | 0 | 0 | v. Croatia,8 April 2025 | |
| FW | Florentina Kuqi | v. Croatia,8 April 2025 | ||||
Records
Individual
- As of 5 August 2021
*Active players in bold.
Most capped players
|
Top goalscorers
|
Competitive record
FIFA Women's World Cup
| FIFA Women's World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D * | L | GF | GA | GD | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 1991 | Team did not exist | Team did not exist | ||||||||||||||
| 1995 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Did not qualify | 6/6 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 56 | −48 | |||||||
| 2019 | 4/5 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 25 | −16 | ||||||||
| 2023 | 4/6 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 30 | −16 | ||||||||
| 2027 | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| 2031 | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| 2035 | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 0/6 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Total | 24 | 9 | 4 | 21 | 31 | 101 | −70 |
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
UEFA Women's Championship
| UEFA Women's Championship record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | P/R | Rnk | |
| 1984 | Team did not exist | Team did not exist | |||||||||||||||||
| 1987 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1989 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Did not qualify | 5/5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 31 | −28 | – | |||||||||
| 2021 | 4/5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 21 | −14 | |||||||||||
| 2025 | 1/4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 18 | −10 | [a] | 37th | |||||||||
| 2029 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | 0/5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Total | 22 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 18 | 70 | −52 | 37th | ||
UEFA Women's Nations League
| UEFA Women's Nations League record | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | League | Group | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | Rnk | |
| 2023–24 | B | 1 | 4th | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 32nd | ||
| 2025 | B | 4 | To be determined | |||||||||
| Total | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 32nd | |||||
| Promoted at end of season | |
| No movement at end of season | |
| Relegated at end of season | |
| * | Participated in promotion/relegation play-offs |
Head-to-head record
- As of 5 August 2021
| Opponent | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | −8 |
| Croatia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | −8 |
| Finland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 11 | −11 |
| France | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | −12 |
| Greece | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 12 | −6 |
| Hungary | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | −6 |
| Kosovo | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | −1 |
| Latvia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| Luxembourg | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 |
| North Macedonia | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +5 |
| Malta | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Montenegro | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 |
| Netherlands | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 14 | −13 |
| Norway | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | −18 |
| Portugal | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | −10 |
| Poland | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | −3 |
| Romania | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | −6 |
| Turkey | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Ukraine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | −6 |
| 19 Countries | 41 | 11 | 3 | 27 | 39 | 134 | −95 |
See also
- Sport in Albania
- Football in Albania
- Women's football in Albania
- Football in Albania
- Albania women's national football team
- Albania women's national football team results
- List of Albania women's international footballers
- Albania women's national under-19 football team
- Albania women's national under-17 football team
Notes
- ^ From Euro 2025 onwards a new qualifying format was introduced, linked to the Women's Nations League where teams are divided into leagues with promotion/relegation between the leagues at the end of each cycle.
References
- ^ "Mbrojtësja e Kombëtares Sara Maliqi tërhiqet nga futbolli i luajtur. FSHF e falënderon për kontributin në futbollin e vajzave". fshf.org (in Albanian). Albanian Football Association. 5 June 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 12 June 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
- ^ "Albania matches". Kirill. 16 August 2010. Archived from the original on 20 August 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ a b c Fatjon Pandovski – Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) (6 May 2011). "Seranaj scores as Albania women make their debut". UEFA. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011.
- ^ Sue Prior. "Winning International debut for Liz". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ "Montenegro vs. Albania 2 – 4". Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ "Albania vs. Montenegro 4 – 3". Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ "Albania vs. Macedonia FYR 2 – 0". Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ "Δράμα -Αλβανία μέσα απο το φακό". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ "Αυλαία στο τουρνουά της Δράμας (+photos)- Κόγγουλη "Καλό τεστ το τουρουά για την Εθνική"". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ "Sport.albeu.com – UEFA "djeg" edhe "Ruzhdi Bizhutën" e "Niko Dovanën"". Archived from the original on 26 May 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^ Rraklli largohet nga stoli i Kombëtares së femrave, ja kush e zëvendëson
- ^ "Dy ndeshjet e fundit në UEFA Nations League për vajza/ Shqipëria nis grumbullimin, trajneri Grima publikon listën" [------] (in Albanian). Albanian Football Association. 28 May 2025.