Albania Euro 2024: Squad, Schedule, and Latest Updates
The team that saw the light of the European Championship only once is now back in the game. We’re talking about Albania, one of the biggest surprises in the qualifiers. What are some experts’ predictions? How far can the Albania Euro 2024 squad go? You can check this team’s trump cards and other major facts here.
Team Info
It may appear that this national team came to be not long ago, but its association is almost 100 years old.
Element | Explanation |
Full Team Name | Albania national football team |
Founded | 1930 |
Association | Albanian Football Federation |
Head Coach | Sylvinho |
Captain | Etrit Berisha |
Most Caps | Lorik Cana |
Top Scorer | Erjon Bogdani |
FIFA Ranking | 66 |
Current Squad
The majority of players who showed much of a backbone in the qualifiers will play for Albania in the main tournament, too.
Squad List
After doing all the cuts and filtering, Sylvinho finally decided who to call.
- Goalkeepers: Simon Simoni, Elhan Kastrati, Thomas Strakosha, Etrit Berisha.
- Defenders: Ivan Balliu, Mario Mitaj, Elseid Hysaj, Berat Djimsiti, Enea Miha, Marash Kumbulla, Naser Aliji, Arlind Arjeti, Adrian Ismailji.
- Midfielders: Medon Berisha, Nedim Bajrami, Qazim Laçi, Ylber Ramadan, Kristjan Asllani, Amir Abrashi, Klaus Gjasula, Ernest Muci.
- Forwards: Rey Manaj, Jasir Asani, Taulant Seferi, Armando Broja, Arbër Hoxha, Mirlind Daku.
Team Statistics
If we were to choose one team that surprised us most during the qualifiers, that’d definitely be Albania. We say this because the Red and Blacks rank highest in their qualifying group. If you want to go into details, our Euro 2024 expert insights might be the right place.
Element | Explanation |
Matches Played | 8 |
Wins | 4 |
Draws | 3 |
Losses | 1 |
Goals Scored | 12 |
Goals Conceded | 4 |
Recent Match Results
The Red and Blacks lost no recent games in the qualifiers. They got a little loose during the latest friendly matches, though.
Match & Result | Occasion | Date |
Sweden vs Albania (1:0) | Friendly International | 25 March 2024 |
Albania vs Chile (0:3) | Friendly International | 22 March 2024 |
Albania vs Faroe Islands (0:0) | Euro Qualifiers | 20 November 2023 |
Moldova vs Albania (1:1) | Euro Qualifiers | 17 November 2023 |
Albania vs Bulgaria (2:0) | Friendly International | 17 October 2023 |
Key Players
The Euro 2024 Albania team features some valuable players on the market. What’s more, you can find some footballers in the squads of the best Serie A and other European clubs.
Player Profiles
The first name that appears on the list of the top Albanian players is Berat Djimsiti. He and Elseid Hysaj will take the biggest pressure on this team’s defensive line. Both footballers play in Serie A and are part of the top 11 in their clubs.
Ivan Balliu, a Sassuolo player, and Marash Kumbulla, who plays for Atletico in Brazil, will also keep opponents away from the goal.
Euro 2024 Schedule
The Albania schedule misses no difficult matches. But, all these games are very interesting to watch, as these are clashes between teams with great players and tactics, but there’s a big chance they will end up at the bottom of Group B.
Fixture | Date | Venue |
Italy vs Albania | 15 June 2024 | Signal Iduna Park (Dortmund) |
Croatia vs Albania | 19 June 2024 | Volksparkstadion (Hamburg) |
Albania vs Spain | 24 June 2024 | Merkur Spiel-Arena (Düsseldorf) |
Latest News
The Albania Euro 2024 team wish to step out of the underdog role. Actually, it’s not really about stepping out of it but proving their true potential. It’s more than obvious that all the other teams are the favourites against them. Still, the Red and Blacks are working hard on their tactics and form and probably hope to surprise their rivals.
Tactical Analysis
The Euro 2024 Albania squad relies heavily on its solid defence. Tiring the opponents by putting a lot of pressure on them also worked well for this team earlier.
Playing Style and Formation
It’s no surprise that the top Albanian players are mostly defenders. This team’s four-player defensive line, made of Balliu, Ismailji, Hysaj, and Mitaj, speaks for itself. If we put two midfielders, three wingers, and one attacker, we’ll get the 4-2-3-1 formation that Sylvinho tries to make work.
Team History
The earliest days of the Albanian football team have not been the gloriest. Yet, the latest activities of this team announce some big games and big times.
Overview
The Albanian Football Federation, as well as the team, became active during the 1940s for the first time. They kicked off by playing friendly matches. In 1954, the Red and Blacks played in the Euro Cup. Around ten years later, this team also competed at the Olympics. The last notable thing Albania did in this period was play in the World Cup qualifiers.
Achievements and Honours
Albania never played at the World Cup. Speaking of the Euro, the Albania schedule shows two tournaments. The first time that the Red and Blacks ever played in Euro was in 2016, in France. The upcoming Euro will be the second and better chance for this country to show what it has.
You can use this knowledge to make more informed predictions and compete in our bettingexpert predictor.