The most famous Albanian soccer players today include Granit Xhaka, Switzerland’s most-capped player and Sunderland’s captain; Elseid Hysaj, the first man to win 100 caps for Albania; Vedat Muriqi, Kosovo’s all-time top scorer; Amir Rrahmani, a two-time Serie A champion with Napoli; and Xherdan Shaqiri, who won the Champions League and the Premier League with Liverpool. Whether they represent Albania directly or carry Albanian heritage while playing for Kosovo, Switzerland or other nations, these athletes are a source of immense pride for the diaspora worldwide.
As of late October 2026, Albanian-heritage players in top European leagues include Granit Xhaka (Sunderland captain, Premier League), Amir Rrahmani (Napoli, Serie A) and Vedat Muriqi (Fenerbahçe, Turkish Süper Lig), while Armando Broja plays for Burnley in the English Championship. Several Albania internationals, including Nedim Bajrami, Kristjan Asllani and Berat Djimsiti, moved to clubs in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in summer 2026. Many others play across Europe, representing Albania, Kosovo or countries where they grew up as part of the wider diaspora.
TLDR
- Granit Xhaka has captained Sunderland since joining from Bayer Leverkusen in 2025 and is Switzerland’s record appearance holder with 152 caps (September 2026)
- Armando Broja moved from Chelsea to Burnley on a permanent deal in August 2025
- Elseid Hysaj is Albania’s most-capped player and in June 2026 became the first to reach 100 caps for the national team
- Xherdan Shaqiri, born in Kosovo, won 125 caps for Switzerland before retiring from international football in 2024
- Nedim Bajrami scored the fastest-ever goal in European Championship history at Euro 2024
- Albanian players carry cultural pride by displaying the double-headed eagle goal celebration
Clubs are as of late October 2026; caps are as of September 2026.
Granit Xhaka: From Kosovo Roots to Premier League Captain
Granit Xhaka was born in Basel, Switzerland, in September 1992 to Kosovo-Albanian parents who had settled in the city (ESPN). He came through FC Basel, moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach and then became a stalwart at Arsenal, where he spent seven seasons and won the FA Cup and Community Shield twice each. He then spent two seasons at Bayer Leverkusen and was a key player in the side that won the club’s first Bundesliga title as part of a league and cup double in 2024. Xhaka returned to England in July 2025, signing a three-year contract with newly promoted Sunderland, who named him captain for the 2025/26 season. He still led the club as captain when Sunderland began their 2026/27 Europa League campaign (Vavel, September 2026).
Internationally, Xhaka is Switzerland’s record appearance holder, with 152 caps as of September 2026, and he has captained the national team. His father, Ragip Xhaka, spent three and a half years as a political prisoner in Yugoslavia after taking part, as a university student, in demonstrations against the government in Belgrade, before the family settled in Switzerland.
Armando Broja: Albania’s Young Striker Finding His Feet
Born in Slough, England, in September 2001 to a family from Koplik in northern Albania (Shkodra Sport), Armando Broja came through Chelsea’s academy before making his name on loan at Southampton. After multiple injury setbacks, he completed a permanent move from Chelsea to Burnley in August 2025 in a deal reportedly worth £20 million, signing a five-year contract. He scored his first Premier League goal for Burnley, a late equalizer at Bournemouth, on 20 December 2025. Burnley were relegated at the end of 2025/26, and as of September 2026 Broja was still with the club in the Championship.
Broja represents Albania internationally and has become a fan favorite for the national team, known for his direct running, aerial ability, and connection to his roots. His story, including serious knee surgery and a challenging road back, resonates deeply with the Albanian community as a story of perseverance. For more on how Albanian players represent their nation, see our article on the Albania national football team.
Elseid Hysaj: Albania’s Most-Capped Player
Elseid Hysaj has been one of Albanian football’s most dependable figures for over a decade. The right back broke Lorik Cana’s record of 93 caps in October 2025 and, in a friendly against Luxembourg on 6 June 2026, became the first player to reach 100 appearances for Albania. Hysaj came through Empoli’s academy and played for Napoli before five seasons at Lazio. He left Lazio when his contract ended in June 2026 and, in September 2026, was reported to be weighing offers as a free agent, including from Russian clubs, while continuing to play for Albania.
His consistency over so many seasons in one of Europe’s most tactically demanding leagues is a testament to his professionalism. Hysaj was part of both of Albania’s UEFA European Championship squads, in 2016 and 2024.
Xherdan Shaqiri: The Albanian Heart in a Swiss Shirt
Perhaps no player better illustrates the complexity of Albanian football identity than Xherdan Shaqiri. Born in Gjilan, Kosovo, to Kosovo-Albanian parents, Shaqiri moved to Switzerland with his family as a young child and went on to become one of the most decorated Swiss players of all time, earning 125 caps and scoring 32 goals before retiring from international football in July 2024. He played for Basel, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Stoke City and Liverpool, where he won the Champions League and the Premier League, and returned to FC Basel in August 2024.
Shaqiri has been open about his dual identity, telling blue News: “When you see my emotions on the pitch, it’s probably more the Albanian. Otherwise, in everyday life, I certainly live 100 percent like a Swiss.” At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, both Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka made the double-headed eagle gesture after scoring against Serbia. FIFA fined each of them 10,000 Swiss francs for unsporting behavior; the gesture drew attention because Kosovo, a former Serbian province, declared independence in 2008, which Serbia does not recognize.
Nedim Bajrami: The Man Behind Euro 2024’s Fastest Goal
Nedim Bajrami, born in Zürich to Albanian parents, etched his name into football history at UEFA Euro 2024 by scoring after just 23 seconds against Italy, the fastest goal in men’s European Championship history. He played for Switzerland from youth level up to the under-21s before the Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared his switch to Albania in 2021. The attacking midfielder played for Empoli and Sassuolo in Serie A before joining Rangers in 2024, and in August 2026 he joined Saudi club Al Taawoun on loan with an option to make the move permanent.
Kristjan Asllani: Albania’s Midfield Future
Kristjan Asllani is one of the leading young players in Albanian football. Born in Elbasan, Albania, and raised in Tuscany, the deep-lying midfielder came through at Empoli before a move to Inter Milan in 2022. After loan spells at Torino and Beşiktaş in 2025/26, he joined Al-Jazira in the United Arab Emirates on loan from Inter in August 2026. He was part of Albania’s Euro 2024 squad.
Amir Rrahmani: Kosovo’s Defensive Rock
Amir Rrahmani is a commanding center-back who captained Kosovo for seven years. In September 2026 he announced he would no longer play for Kosovo while the current leadership of the Kosovo federation remains in place, after 67 caps. Born in Prishtina, he built his reputation in Serie A, where he has helped Napoli win two Serie A titles (2023 and 2025), and in September 2026 he reached an agreement on a contract extension to 2029. Strong in the air and calm under pressure, Rrahmani is one of the most accomplished ethnic Albanian defenders in Europe.
Vedat Muriqi: The Kosovo Striker Known as the Pirate
Vedat Muriqi is a powerful target striker, Kosovo’s captain and the country’s all-time leading scorer, with 33 international goals as of September 2026. Nicknamed the Pirate, the towering forward became Mallorca’s record La Liga scorer, passing Samuel Eto’o in April 2026, and finished 2025/26 as La Liga’s second-highest scorer with 23 goals before rejoining Fenerbahçe, his club in 2019/20, on a three-year contract in summer 2026.
Berat Djimsiti: Albania’s Long-Serving Defender
Berat Djimsiti was born in Switzerland but chose to represent Albania, becoming one of the most reliable defenders in the national setup. He spent eight and a half seasons at Atalanta, making 334 appearances and winning the 2024 Europa League, before joining Saudi club Al-Diriyah in August 2026. He was part of Albania’s Euro 2024 squad.
Other Albanian Players Making an Impact Across Europe
The Albanian presence in European football extends well beyond the names above. A few other players worth knowing:
- Arlind Ajeti: Swiss-born center-back, part of Albania’s Euro 2016 and Euro 2024 squads
- Keidi Bare: Midfielder with 29 international caps, known for his technical quality
- Ermir Lenjani: A versatile midfielder who earned 45 caps for Albania between 2013 and 2022, playing across Swiss and European leagues
- Lorik Cana: Albania’s record appearance holder with 93 caps until Elseid Hysaj passed him in 2025, and the first Albanian to play in the Premier League, representing PSG, Marseille, Sunderland, Lazio, and Galatasaray during his career
For Albanian sporting greats beyond soccer, see our list of famous Albanians from history, music, sport and politics, and for athletes in American leagues, Albanian-Americans in US professional sports. For the dedicated national team story, read our full guide to the Albania national football team and the Kosovo national football team.
Albanians Across Europe’s National Teams
One striking feature of Albanian football is how many ethnic Albanian players are spread across several national teams. Alongside Albania itself, Kosovo fields a squad built around players like its captain and record scorer Vedat Muriqi (Amir Rrahmani stepped away from the national team in September 2026), while Switzerland has long relied on Kosovar-Albanian stars such as Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri. Ethnic Albanian players also feature for North Macedonia. This reflects the spread of the Albanian diaspora across the Balkans and Western Europe, and it is why the double-headed eagle celebration turns up in so many different national shirts.
Albanian Players in the Switzerland National Team
How many Albanian players play for Switzerland? There is no official count, because the Swiss federation does not record players’ heritage. The table below lists Switzerland senior internationals whose Albanian heritage, including Kosovo-Albanian and North Macedonian-Albanian families, is stated in published sources, with caps as of September 2026. It should be read as a minimum, not a complete list.
| Player | Heritage (as sources state it) | Switzerland caps | Major tournaments in squad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granit Xhaka | Born in Basel to Kosovo-Albanian parents (ESPN) | 152 (Sept 2026) | World Cup 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026; Euro 2016, 2020, 2024 |
| Xherdan Shaqiri | Born in Gjilan, Kosovo; parents from Kosovo (Goal) | 125 (final, retired 2024) | Seven tournaments: World Cup 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022; Euro 2016, 2020, 2024 |
| Valon Behrami | Grew up in northern Kosovo; moved to Switzerland with his family in the 1990s (swissinfo.ch) | 83 (final, 2005 to 2018) | World Cup 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018; Euro 2008, 2016 |
| Blerim Džemaili | Born in Tetovo (now North Macedonia), of Albanian descent (Goal) | 69 (final, 2006 to 2018) | World Cup 2006, 2014, 2018; Euro 2016 |
| Admir Mehmedi | Born in Gostivar (now North Macedonia), of Albanian descent (Goal) | 76 (final, 2011 to 2021) | World Cup 2014; Euro 2016, 2020 |
| Ardon Jashari | Swiss-born, with Albanian roots and parents from the Polog region of North Macedonia (AC Milan) | 11 (Sept 2026) | World Cup 2022, 2026; Euro 2024 (did not play) |
| Albian Ajeti | Born in Basel; says “Albania is my family” but chose Switzerland (Indeksonline) | 11 (2018 to 2020) | None |
| Albert Bunjaku | Born in Gjilan (Gnjilane), Kosovo; later played for Kosovo (blue News) | 6 (2009 to 2010) | World Cup 2010 |
| Shani Tarashaj | Listed among Switzerland’s Albanian-heritage players (Goal) | 5 (2016) | Euro 2016 |
Squad lists show how central these players have been. Switzerland’s Euro 2016 squad included six players of Albanian heritage; the 2018 World Cup squad had four (Xhaka, Shaqiri, Behrami and Džemaili); the Euro 2020 squad three (Xhaka, Shaqiri and Mehmedi); the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024 squads three each (Xhaka, Shaqiri and Jashari); and the 2026 World Cup squad two (Xhaka and Jashari).
The movement also runs the other way. Six of Albania’s Euro 2016 players were born in Switzerland, including Taulant Xhaka, Granit’s older brother, Amir Abrashi and Arlind Ajeti. Nedim Bajrami played for Swiss youth teams up to the under-21s before switching to Albania, and Berat Djimsiti also chose Albania. Kosovo is a growing option too: its under-19 coach Albert Bunjaku, a former Switzerland international, has pointed to Leon Avdullahu and Albian Hajdari, who chose Kosovo over Switzerland.
The Double-Headed Eagle: More Than a Celebration
One of the most recognizable images in world football is the double-headed eagle celebration, where Albanian players spread their fingers into the shape of Albania’s national symbol. Players like Xhaka, Shaqiri, and scores of others have performed this gesture on the grandest stages, from World Cups to European Championships. The celebration is a statement of identity, connecting diaspora-born players to a homeland and a people that many left behind as children or whose parents fled conflict.
After the 2018 World Cup, swissinfo.ch noted that the gesture put a spotlight on Switzerland’s Kosovar community: the Federal Statistical Office counted around 260,000 Albanian speakers in Switzerland in 2016. That dual identity, with players raised in one country and rooted in another, runs through the Albanian football story.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous Albanian soccer player?
Granit Xhaka has the strongest record among active Albanian-heritage footballers: he is Switzerland’s record appearance holder with 152 caps (September 2026), won the FA Cup twice with Arsenal and a league and cup double with Bayer Leverkusen, and captains Sunderland. Xherdan Shaqiri, a Champions League and Premier League winner with Liverpool, and Lorik Cana, the first Albanian to play in the Premier League, are other household names. For the Albania national team itself, Elseid Hysaj became the first player to reach 100 caps in June 2026.
Is Xherdan Shaqiri Albanian?
Yes. Shaqiri was born in Gjilan, Kosovo, to Kosovo-Albanian parents and moved to Switzerland as a young child. He chose to play for Switzerland, winning 125 caps before retiring from international football in July 2024, and has said his emotions on the pitch are “probably more the Albanian.”
Why do Albanian players play for Switzerland and not Albania?
Many ethnic Albanians were born in Switzerland or moved there as young children, as their families left Kosovo and other parts of the former Yugoslavia for political or economic reasons over several decades, especially in the 1990s. Under FIFA rules, if a player has citizenship and meets residency criteria, they can represent that country. Players like Xhaka and Shaqiri chose Switzerland, the country where they were raised, while others like Broja chose Albania despite being born in England.
How many Albanian players have played for Switzerland?
There is no official count, but at least nine Switzerland senior internationals have Albanian heritage stated in published sources, led by Granit Xhaka, the country’s record appearance holder with 152 caps (September 2026), and Xherdan Shaqiri with 125. Recent tournament squads have included between two and six of them, from six at Euro 2016 to two at the 2026 World Cup.
What is the double-headed eagle celebration in soccer?
The double-headed eagle is a gesture where a player crosses their thumbs and spreads their fingers to form the shape of the Albanian national emblem. It is performed by players of Albanian heritage as a sign of pride and identity. The celebration became globally recognized at the 2018 FIFA World Cup when Xhaka and Shaqiri performed it after scoring against Serbia.
How many Albanian players are in the Premier League?
In the 2025/26 season, Albanian-heritage players in the Premier League included Granit Xhaka at Sunderland and Armando Broja at Burnley. In 2026/27 Xhaka is still Sunderland captain, while Broja plays for Burnley in the Championship. The number varies each season depending on transfers, promotions and relegations. The Premier League has featured Albanian-origin players since Lorik Cana’s time at Sunderland in 2009.
Did any Albanian players play at Euro 2024?
Yes, Albania competed at Euro 2024 in Germany. Nedim Bajrami scored the fastest-ever goal in European Championship history, netting after just 23 seconds against Italy. Albania also drew 2-2 with Croatia thanks to a stoppage-time Klaus Gjasula equalizer, after he had earlier scored an own goal. The team exited in the group stage but left a lasting impression on the tournament.
Who is Albania’s all-time most-capped player?
Elseid Hysaj. He passed Lorik Cana’s record of 93 caps in a friendly against Jordan in October 2025 and, on 6 June 2026 against Luxembourg, became the first player to reach 100 caps for Albania. Cana, who played for clubs including PSG, Marseille, Sunderland, Galatasaray and Lazio, was the first Albanian to play in the English Premier League.
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Author: Val Demiri
Valbona is an editor and writer at ALB Connection, where she covers the people, businesses, and culture shaping the Albanian diaspora. A journalism graduate of the University of Iowa, her work spans community profiles, success stories, and features on Albanian life across the US, Europe, and beyond. She is drawn to stories that celebrate Albanian achievement and keep the community connected across borders.
