National team
Albania U-15 heads to Azerbaijan for FIFA tournament; U-15 girls open with 1-3 loss to Latvia
Armand Dama calls up 14 players for five games in three days, while the UEFA Development tournament for girls got underway at the House of Football.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 20, 2026, 17:15 · Updated 12:22 · 1 min read
In brief
- Coach Armand Dama published a 14-player squad for the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026 in Azerbaijan.
- Albania play from Oct. 24 to 26 against Turks and Caicos, Mauritania, Rwanda, Vanuatu and Ivory Coast.
- The U-15 girls lost 1-3 to Latvia in the opening game of the UEFA Development tournament in Tirana.
Albania's U-15 team will take part in the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026, which begins Oct. 24 in Azerbaijan. Coach Armand Dama has published a squad of 14 players, who will gain international experience against teams from different continents.
Squad and schedule
Goalkeepers: Valerio Alijaj, Besardo Ndoji. Defenders: Elez Elqeni, Denjan Avdylaj, Kevin Muharremi, Romeo Hazizaj, Elio Mera. Midfielders: Matias Mehmeti, Lionel Cjapi, Gean Ramadani, Kledi Dida. Forwards: Aleksanderos Shofiti, Santiago Perkola, Dejvis Mesiti.
The young Albanians play five games in three days. On Oct. 24 they face the Turks and Caicos Islands, on Oct. 25 Mauritania and Rwanda, and on Oct. 26 Vanuatu and Ivory Coast. The compressed format, with two games a day on Oct. 25 and 26, will test the team's physical endurance.
U-15 girls at the UEFA Development tournament
Meanwhile, the UEFA Development tournament for U-15 girls began Tuesday at the House of Football in Tirana. In the opening match, Romania came from behind to beat Northern Ireland 2-1, with goals from Sonia Barbu and Csenge Szekely after Maisie Hobson had given Northern Ireland the lead.
Coach Rabie Tota's Albania lost 1-3 to Latvia. The visitors scored through Ritele in the 34th minute, Pudane in the 62nd and Lanska from the penalty spot, at a stage when the Albanians were down to 10 players after Anja Shosha was sent off. Estela Gjoni scored Albania's consolation goal in the 87th minute. The young Albanians return to the pitch Thursday at 2:30 p.m. against Romania, broadcast live on FSHF TV.
