GENEVA (AP) — Switzerland Under-21 player Leon Avdullahu has opted to play for his parents’ home country Kosovo, ahead of a match between the two senior national teams on Sept. 5 in their 2026 World Cup qualifying group.
The Swiss soccer federation was “disappointed that he now wishes to pursue a different path,” national teams manager Pierluigi Tami said Tuesday in a statement.
Switzerland and Kosovo have close soccer ties, especially because of migration from the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s that brought future stars including Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri.
The relationship became more complex when the now-independent republic of Kosovo officially joined soccer bodies UEFA and FIFA in 2016. FIFA rules let players eligible for more than one country to change, typically before they play a competitive game for the senior national team.
The switch by 21-year-old Hoffenheim midfielder Avdullahu was confirmed late Monday by Kosovo soccer federation president Agim Ademi in an Instagram post.
In Switzerland, Tami said: “However, I wish to make it clear that we only want players in our national teams who identify 100% with our country and our national team.”
Avdullahu should now be available for selection when Kosovo plays next week against Switzerland at Basel — the club where he grew up and played until an offseason 8 million euros ($9.3 million) transfer to Germany.
Switzerland captain Xhaka and Shaqiri, who retired from the national team last year, both starred for Basel and then represented the adopted country of their families who have roots in Kosovo and Albania.
Switzerland youth internationals regularly change eligibility to play for Kosovo, and FIFA this month approved those moves for prospects Kevin Krasniqi and Leon Frokaj.
Swiss soccer has “already dealt with this subject several times,” Tami said.
One of the most famous cases was Ivan Rakitić, another Basel protege and Switzerland Under-21 player, who went on to play more than 100 games for Croatia including in the 2018 World Cup final loss to France.
Switzerland saw another top prospect decide to change eligibility this month, as 18-year-old Fiorentina defender Eman Košpo said he would represent Bosnia-Herzegovina in future.
Switzerland has qualified to play at the last five men’s World Cups with key squad members who have family ties to the Balkans, including Valon Behrami, Shaqiri, Xhaka, Blerim Džemaili and Mario Gavranović. AC Milan playmaker Ardon Jashari shapes to join them.
Kosovo and Switzerland are in one of the toughest European qualifying groups for the World Cup with Slovenia and Sweden. Only the group winner in November will advance directly to the finals tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Hoffenheim's Leon Avdullahu, center, and Rostock's Kenan Fatkic, right, challenge for the ballduring the German soccer cup match between FC Hansa Rostock and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in Rostock, Germany, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (Christian Charisius/dpa via AP)
