The draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers was held today at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich. Albania was placed in Group K, where it will face England, Serbia, Latvia, and Andorra.
AFA President Armand Duka, in a brief statement to fshf.org, commented on the tough nature of the group and stressed the need for thorough preparation and hard work throughout the qualification campaign.
“The draw must be accepted as it is. It’s not the best possible outcome, but we have to deal with it. England is one of the best teams in the world, and playing against them will be difficult. The match against Serbia will also be very sensitive. I hope it goes well, and that it sends a message of cooperation, which is what football should promote. We need to focus on football. It’s a tough group. It could have been different, but World Cup qualifiers are always hard – much harder than the European Championship and the Nations League qualifiers.
There’s nothing left for us to do but prepare, wait for the match dates, find out who our opponent will be in March, and do our best to fight. Qualifiers are all about fighting until the end. The draw could have been more favorable, but recently, luck has not been on our side. All we can do now is work very hard,” said President Duka in his statement to fshf.org.
