Kosovo Stun Sweden 2-0 In FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

Last Updated:September 09, 2025, 09:43 IST

First-half goals from Elvis Rexhbecaj and Vedat Muriqi secured Kosovo their second-ever win in World Cup qualifying.

Kosovo players celebrate their win over Sweden. (AFP Photo)

Sweden’s sluggish start to their qualifying campaign persisted into the second matchday as they suffered a 2-0 defeat against Kosovo in Pristina. The Swedes now have just one point after a last-minute equaliser by Slovenia resulted in a 2-2 draw on Friday.

First-half goals from Elvis Rexhbecaj and Vedat Muriqi secured Kosovo their second-ever win in World Cup qualifying. Augsburg midfielder Rexhbecaj put the hosts ahead after 26 minutes, bundling the ball in after his initial one-on-one effort was saved by goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Kosovan captain Muriqi doubled the lead three minutes before halftime with a powerful strike from the edge of the box.

Premier League record signing Isak was brought on from the bench in the final 20 minutes to try and salvage something for the Swedes. The Liverpool star had a chance to reduce the deficit on 85 minutes but was denied by goalkeeper Arijanet Muric as Kosovo moved to second in Group B despite finishing with 10 men.

“(Isak) had only done three training sessions with the team," Sweden boss Jon Dahl Tomasson told Viaplay. “He had no pre-season with the team and of course no playing time," he added, referring to the 25-year-old who experienced a turbulent departure from former club Newcastle.

Switzerland, who defeated Kosovo 4-0 last week, remain top of the pool following a dominant first-half display in Basel against Slovenia. The home side secured a 3-0 victory with goals from Nico Elvedi, Breel Embolo, and Dan Ndoye within the first 40 minutes.

Denmark also won by the same margin in Greece, moving to the top of Group C with four points. They are level with Scotland, who triumphed 2-0 over Belarus in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary.

Croatia claimed the lead in Group L with a 4-0 home victory over neighbouring Montenegro. Kristijan Jakic opened the scoring in Zagreb before Montenegro were reduced to 10 men when Andrija Bulatovic received a red card.

Andrej Kramaric went to the top of the qualification goal-scoring chart with his sixth goal of the campaign on 51 minutes, followed by an own-goal from Edvin Kuc and a strike from Ivan Perisic that sealed the result. The 2018 World Cup runners-up leapfrogged Czech Republic to top the table, with both countries having 12 points, although Croatia have a game in hand.

The Faroe Islands moved to third in the group with a 1-0 win over Gibraltar.

With AFP Inputs

Feroz Khan

Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital...Read More

Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital...

Read More

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News sports Kosovo Stun Sweden 2-0 In FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

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