Slovakia vs. Kosovo – News and Probable Lineups

In their quest to inch closer to qualifying for a spot in North America this summer, Slovakia and Kosovo will meet in their World Cup playoff semi-final on Thursday night.

The encounter will take place in Bratislava, where the Falcons will go head-to-head with the Dardanians. The winning team will face either Romania or Turkey next week for a chance to participate in the world’s premier football tournament.

Match overview

Placed in the same World Cup qualification group as European heavyweights Germany, it was anticipated that Slovakia would have to navigate the playoffs to secure only their second appearance in World Cup finals history.

The first chapter of this anticipated story unfolded last year, with the Falcons finishing second in their four-team group behind Julian Nagelsmann’s squad, gathering 12 points from six matches, which was three points ahead of third-placed Northern Ireland.

Despite an overall successful campaign so far, Francesco Calzona’s men faced a heavy defeat in their last competitive match in November 2025, succumbing to a 6-0 loss against Germany in Leipzig, marking Slovakia’s worst defeat since January 2017.

Determined to avoid consecutive competitive losses for the first time since a mixed UEFA Nations League C season in 2022, the Falcons will have home advantage in Bratislava for this crucial semi-final on Thursday.

No player found the net more than once for Slovakia during their six-game qualification campaign, although several players should resonate with English Championship supporters, namely Middlesbrough’s David Strelec and Tomas Rigo from Stoke City.

Since they became part of UEFA in September 2016 during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Kosovo has steadily progressed towards the pinnacle of international football, striving to qualify for their first-ever major tournament this summer.

The Dardanians suffered only one loss across their six qualification matches last year, but they finished second in their group behind regularly competing Switzerland, with the two teams splitting the points in their last encounter in Pristina in November.

Unlike their hosts on Thursday, Kosovo features an attacking star making waves in a top league, as 23-year-old Fisnik Asllani has scored eight goals and provided five assists from 26 Bundesliga matches for Hoffenheim this season.

In both competitive and friendly matches, the Dardanians have lost just one of their last 11 games dating back to November 2024 when the Balkan nation was vying for promotion to Nations League B.

Franco Foda is at the helm for Kosovo, in his second international assignment after previous roles in German and Austrian club football, guiding them in their pursuit of World Cup qualification, with the 59-year-old having secured 12 victories from 19 matches so far.

Team News

Slovakia will be without Lubomir Satka, who broke a bone in his hand earlier this month.

Martin Dubravka, taking a breather from relegation battles at Burnley in the Premier League, is set to start in goal for the Falcons.

A consistent presence in midfield, Stanislav Lobotka is aiming to play a crucial role in securing victory for Slovakia on Thursday.

Kosovo’s Arijanet Muric, a former Turf Moor regular, is now playing for Sassuolo in Serie A as they approach these pivotal playoffs.

Slovakia probable starting XI:

Dubravka; Gyomber, Skriniar, Obert, Hancko; Rigo, Lobotka, Duda; Duris, Sauer, Shooter

Kosovo probable starting XI:

Muric; Dellova, Rrahmani, Aliti, Gallapeni; Vojvoda, Hodza, Rexhbecaj, Musliga; Asllani, Muriqi

With a strengthened squad following previous injury troubles, Slovakia finds themselves in a commendable position to contest for World Cup qualification this month.

Kosovo aims to extend their unbeaten streak to six matches but may face a challenging defeat in Bratislava on Thursday.