Muriqi: I can retire happy if Kosovo make the World Cup

• Kosovo face Slovakia in the European play-offs on Thursday

• Victory sets up a deciding clash at home against either Türkiye or Romania for a spot at the FIFA World Cup

• Captain Vedat Muriqi reflects on the journey and the significance of qualifying

Vedat Muriqi was handed his Kosovo debut in 2016, becoming part of the nation's footballing journey from the very beginning.

Nearly ten years later, the prolific Mallorca frontman is chomping at the bit to feature at the FIFA World Cup 2026™. To book their spot, Kosovo must get through the European play-offs, with a semi-final clash away to Slovakia up first. Victory there would secure a home match in Pristina versus either Türkiye or Romania for a spot at the finals.

Ahead of Kosovo’s biggest challenge to date, their captain and all-time leading goalscorer sat down with FIFA to discuss what lies ahead in the coming days.

FIFA: Kosovo are looking to book their place on the biggest stage for the first time in their history. What does this mean to such a young side?FIFA: Kosovo are looking to book their place on the biggest stage for the first time in their history. What does this mean to such a young side?

Vedat Muriqi: We’ve only been going for ten years, which in football terms is next to nothing. We’re here to give it everything we’ve got and fight for a place at the World Cup. It’s a massive opportunity for us. The whole country is buzzing with excitement. Everyone’s over the moon. On a personal level, it’s very special for me. I turn 32 this year, and one of my dreams is to represent Kosovo at a World Cup or European Championship. It would be a huge milestone in my career.

In qualifying so far, Kosovo lost just once. Did it come as a surprise, or did you think you were capable of performing at that level all along?In qualifying so far, Kosovo lost just once. Did it come as a surprise, or did you think you were capable of performing at that level all along?

The only time we suffered defeat was in our opening match against Switzerland. I’m not quite sure what went wrong. We shipped four goals in just over 20 minutes and ended up losing 4-0. It was a tough pill to swallow. At times, we wondered how we were going to turn things around, but coach Franco Foda made the right calls. He rotated the starting XI and tweaked the system. We all focused on doing our individual jobs, and in our second match we got the better of a Sweden side featuring the likes of [Viktor] Gyokeres, [Alexander] Isak, and [Anthony] Elanga up top. Getting the win on home soil was massive for us and really spurred us on.

Then we played out a stalemate with Slovenia before running out winners against Sweden and again against Slovenia. We started to believe in ourselves. It would have been even sweeter not to have lost to Switzerland, but for a country like ours, finishing runners-up and reaching the play-offs is a huge achievement. We need to take it in our stride and keep progressing as a team.

What are you expecting from the clash with Slovakia?What are you expecting from the clash with Slovakia?

I’ve been keeping a close eye on how they play and set up. I know their coach (Francesco Calzona) isn’t afraid to mix things up with plenty of tactical changes. He spent many years as Napoli’s assistant, and I know how he operates tactically. He’s doing a great job with Slovakia.

Looking at their squad, I’ve been lucky enough to come up against David Hancko. I played alongside Denis Vavro at Lazio and faced Milan Skriniar when he was plying his trade for Inter. The other centre-back is my team-mate Martin Valjent, and then there’s Stanislav Lobotka, who I rate very highly.

They possess lots of individual quality, but as a team they have a coach who knows how to get the best out of everyone, and they play great football based on strong teamwork. They’re strong and physically dominant. They transition very well both offensively and defensively. That’s how they’ve managed to get the better of the likes of Germany.

Are you looking beyond that game? Do you dream of a final on home soil in Pristina?Are you looking beyond that game? Do you dream of a final on home soil in Pristina?

It’s always good to dream. About anything. I still dream. To this day, I’ve gotten this far by dreaming big. I just try not to dwell on it too much, because I know that if we win and the final game is at home, it’s going to be a footballing celebration like no other. We’d have the whole country’s backing. But taking on Slovakia away from home will be no mean feat. It’s going to be a tough ask, but by no means impossible. If we manage to make it to the final, Türkiye will be an incredibly tricky side for us to face. Much like Romania, a team we’ve faced time and time again without ever getting the better of them.

What would it mean to you to represent Kosovo at a World Cup?What would it mean to you to represent Kosovo at a World Cup?

Playing for Kosovo at the World Cup would be a brilliant way for me to call time on my career. I could say I’d given it my all and now it’s time to hang up my boots. I’m not sure I’d carry on playing for much longer. I’ve talked about it with my friends. These days, I really struggle to sleep after games. I leave everything out there on the pitch. I used to be full of energy and raring to go in the next training session, but now I need more time to recover. I need a couple of days to fully recover. I’ve still got the hunger and desire, that’s for sure. I’d love to play at the World Cup and then make it to the Euros in two years, but you’ve got to face facts. I’d love to hit my peak while playing at the World Cup, and then if I decide to call time on my career, I’d sleep much easier, knowing I’d fulfilled my dream.

How different is this Kosovo side to the one you debuted in ten years ago?How different is this Kosovo side to the one you debuted in ten years ago?

I’ve been here since day one, and in these ten years the team’s gone through a lot of changes. Looking back, the progress has been huge for the country, the association, and the players. A lot of hard work has gone in, both on and off the pitch. Franco Foda, who was at the helm of Austria at the European Championship, took over the reins. He’s a hugely experienced coach. I’d say four or five of us are from the original Kosovo squad. We’ve all grown together, and the rest of the squad are talented young players with bags of potential. Some of the players are playing in the Bundesliga and Serie A. We’re doing really well and moving in the right direction as a national side, but five or six years down the line, I can see Kosovo being a really strong side. We’ll be a tough nut to crack for any team that comes up against us.

Being among the top scorers in La Liga, up there with the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, is something special. How does that make you feel? Being among the top scorers in La Liga, up there with the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, is something special. How does that make you feel?

I’m really proud to be playing in one of the best leagues in the world, sitting second in the race for the top goalscorer, with Lamine Yamal and other top players trailing me. I feel great. People back home are really proud of me as well. I feel like this season’s shaping up to be the most special in my career, especially after I only managed to bag seven goals in each of the last two seasons. I’ve currently got 18 goals to my name, and I’ll be looking to score many more between now and the end of the season.