Kosovo vs Ireland prediction 24.09.2026 | Nations League

Kosovo played well in the previous World Cup qualifiers. They finished second in their group and secured another opportunity in the playoffs. Kosovo beat Slovakia on their route, but after that lost against Turkey in the decider. Since then, Kosovo has had only two friendlies in which they lost to the Czech Republic, but beat Andorra 3- 0 in their most recent outing. 

Kosovo have a very good squad. The best are three players from Hoffenheim: Fisnik Asllani, Albian Hajdari, and Leon Avdullahu. Asllani had some injury problems recently, but all three players are young and will likely have very successful careers. Other big, slightly more experienced names include Arijanet Muric (Sassuolo), Edon Zhegrova (Juventus), Mergim Vojvoda (Udinese), and Vedat Muriqi (Fenerbahce). 

The big news recently was that Napoli's defender, Amir Rrahmani, decided not to play for the national team until the federation's leadership changes. Also, there were reports that Edon Zhegrova, Vedat Muriqi, Milot Rashica, and Arijanet Muric would boycott the national team, but the head coach, Franco Foda, said that was exaggerated and that Rrahmani is the only one who decided to pull out. 

Ireland fought bravely in the World Cup qualifiers, but Portugal was ultimately too strong. However, Ireland finished second in the group and secured the playoffs, where Heimir Hallgrimsson's team lost after penalties against the Czech Republic. Since then, Ireland has played four friendlies without losing. They beat Grenada and Qatar and drew with North Macedonia. The hardest game came in the most recent match, when Hallgrimsson's team played 1-1 against Canada. Ireland played well and have every reason for optimism in the upcoming Nations League campaign. 

Most Ireland players are playing in the Premier League and Championship. However, the most intriguing is probably Betis' forward Troy Parrott. The other worth mentioning players are Caoimhin Kelleher (Brentford), Finn Azaz (Southampton), and Jake O'Brien (Everton). Also, it is worth noting that Jamie McGrath and Harvey Vale were called up, but had to pull out due to injuries. Probably the biggest miss is captain Nathan Collins, but he is recovering from a calf strain and will be out for the next few weeks.