A historic reward for Kosovo players ahead of the World Cup qualifying playoffs

The Kosovo government, headed by Albin Kurti, has pledged to give the national team a financial reward of up to one million euros (about $1.08 million) if it beats the Turkish national team the day after tomorrow (Tuesday), a victory that would secure Kosovo a historic first-ever qualification for the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

This initiative aims to support the team in their crucial playoff match in Pristina, the capital, for a place in the tournament. Kosovo reached the playoff final after a thrilling 4-3 victory over Slovakia, prompting Finance Minister Hekuran Morati to announce on Facebook the allocation of €500,000 (approximately $540,000), which will be officially approved tomorrow (Monday).

If the team receives the full bonus, which could reach 1.5 million euros (about 1.62 million dollars), each player, coach, and administrative staff member is expected to receive an amount ranging between 40,000 and 50,000 euros (about 43,200 to 54,000 dollars), although the distribution mechanism has not yet been officially announced.

It is worth noting that Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, joined FIFA and UEFA in 2016. The national team failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and also missed out on Euro 2020 and 2024, but qualified for the current playoff after finishing second behind Switzerland in its qualifying group.

The winner of Tuesday's match against Türkiye will join Group D in the World Cup, which includes the United States, Paraguay and Australia.

The government of Kosovo, led by Albin Kurti, has pledged to grant the national team a financial bonus of up to one million euros (approximately 1.08 million dollars) if they win against Turkey the day after tomorrow (Tuesday), a victory that would secure Kosovo a historic qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This initiative comes to support the team in the crucial match that will take place in the capital, Pristina, as part of the playoff qualifying for the tournament. The Kosovo national team reached the playoff final after a thrilling victory over Slovakia with a score of 4-3, prompting Finance Minister Hekuran Murati to announce via the Facebook platform the allocation of 500,000 euros (approximately 540,000 dollars), which will be officially approved tomorrow (Monday).

If the team receives the full bonus, which could reach 1.5 million euros (about 1.62 million dollars), it is expected that each player, coach, and administrative staff member will receive an amount ranging between 40,000 and 50,000 euros (approximately 43,200 to 54,000 dollars), although the distribution mechanism has not yet been officially announced.

It is worth noting that Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, joined FIFA and UEFA in 2016. The team failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup editions and missed the Euro 2020 and 2024 tournaments, but qualified for the current playoff after finishing second behind Switzerland in their qualifying group.

The winner of the match on Tuesday against Turkey will join Group D in the World Cup, which includes the United States, Paraguay, and Australia.