US EditionKosovo Gains as Another Switzerland Prospect Switches Teams Ahead of World Cup Qualifying Game
FIFA rules allow Avdullahu, a 21-year-old Hoffenheim midfielder, to switch national teams before competitive senior games, impacting Kosovo and Switzerland's World Cup qualifying lineup.
- Leon Avdullahu, a Switzerland Under-21 player, has opted to represent Kosovo, his parents' home country, this month.
- Under current eligibility rules, FIFA rules allow players eligible for more than one country to switch before a competitive senior game, and Kosovo, which joined UEFA and FIFA in 2016, enabled this pathway.
- Avdullahu grew up at Basel and moved in an offseason 8 million euros transfer to Germany, while Basel has produced players like Ivan Rakitić who represented other countries.
- Next week Kosovo faces Switzerland at Basel, and Avdullahu should be available, bolstering Kosovo in a group with Slovenia and Sweden where only the November winner advances.
- In Switzerland, Pierluigi Tami emphasized the federation wants players who identify 100% with the country, amid migration trends producing stars like Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri.
14 Articles
14 Articles
After Eman Kospo, another young footballer turns away from the Swiss Football Association. Now the Hoffenheim player debuts for Kosovo in his long-standing home stadium St. Jakob Park – against Switzerland.
Associated Press News
Kosovo gains as another Switzerland prospect switches teams ahead of World Cup qualifying game
Switzerland Under-21 player Leon Avdullahu has opted to play for his parents’ home country Kosovo, ahead of a match between the two senior national teams next week in their 2026 World Cup qualifying group.
As President Agim Ademi announces on Monday evening, Leon Avdullahu will play for Kosovo in the future.
Leon Avdullahu has made an important decision for his career, choosing to play for the Kosovo National Team and definitively rejecting the opportunity to represent Switzerland. This choice was confirmed by FFK President Agim Ademi, who added that the talented midfielder has chosen the Dardanelles with his heart. “The wait is over, Leon is from Kosovo. I am pleased to share with you the great news that Leon Avdullahu, guided by his heart, has dec…
The Swiss Football Association apparently suffers the next defeat. Leon Avdullahu is to compete for Kosovo in the future.
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