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By:
Faton Polisi
- 29 January 2026 18:29
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In March, Slovakia and Kosovo will face off in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup playoff.
The match is played in Bratislava. The winner of this match qualifies for the playoff final and plays at home against the winner of the Turkey – Romania match.
Slovakia does not officially recognize Kosovo. But when Kosovo, or rather the Football Federation of Kosovo, was admitted to UEFA in 2016, Slovakia did not have a position. It did not vote either against or for Kosovo's admission to UEFA. It abstained.
This was revealed on Thursday in an interview with the Slovak media outlet "Sportnet", by the president of the Slovak Football Federation, Jan Kovacik.
The FFK became a member of UEFA on May 3, 2016, and on May 13, 2016, it also joined FIFA.
"I attended the congress where Kosovo was accepted as a member of UEFA. We discussed this situation with the state representatives because we did not want to vote in a way that was different from the way state politics perceives it. We communicated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the time and agreed to abstain. We did not vote for or against," said Kovačik.
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The head of the Slovak football house also spoke about the match against Kosovo.
The match in Bratislava has been officially classified as a high-risk event.
Security measures will be strict, the head of the Slovak Football Association has warned.
"We see this match as very dangerous. I was not happy at all when I learned that we had this opponent in the playoffs. Apart from the fact that he is a smart opponent in football, I understood from the first moment what other problems await us and what could happen. I think that to a large extent we have to take this into account," said Kovacik.
He admitted that the semi-final match of the 2026 World Cup qualification playoff against Kosovo was not treated like all other matches. But he hopes they will be successful, both on and off the field.
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"We will do our best to prevent any non-football-related problems that may arise in the stadium. We are also consulting with experienced people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with people who have worked in the Balkans. I hope we will succeed," Kovacik stressed.
The Slovaks are committed to qualifying for the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada. Kosovo is also aiming for a historic World Cup qualification.
"A great success. It would be only the second time in Slovakia's history. It's a big challenge for the players too," he said.
The Slovak Federation took numerous measures to ensure that match tickets did not end up with Kosovo fans.
Kosovo has had a huge fan base in recent away matches, especially against Slovenia in Ljubljana last November. There were many spectators supporting Kosovo, although the Slovenians also tried to ensure that tickets ended up with their fans. But they were unsuccessful.
Kosovo is entitled to five percent of the tickets. The stadium in Bratislava has a capacity of 22,500 seats. Consequently, FFK is entitled to 1.125 tickets.
For Kosovo, the match on March 26 is the most important one so far. For Kosovo, qualifying for the playoffs is a great success. But now, the goal and dream is to qualify for the World Cup.
"Growth, confidence, Kosovo. In 2022 we were ranked 107th. We start 2026 from 78th position. In March, the real challenges await us. Kosovo Strength," the Kosovo Football Federation wrote on Thursday.
The FFK has published the best moments of the national team in the regular qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
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Kosovo had a successful qualifying campaign. They finished second in Group B behind Switzerland, leaving Slovenia and Sweden behind.
