Preview: Slovakia vs Kosovo - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to move one step closer to a place in North America this summer, Slovakia and Kosovo clash in their World Cup playoff semi-final on Thursday night.

Bratislava will play host to the match between the Falcons and the Dardanians, with the winner facing off against either Romania or Turkey next week for a spot at football's biggest tournament.

Match preview

Drawn into a World Cup qualification group alongside European giants Germany, it was always likely that Slovakia would be forced to take the playoff route in an attempt to reach only their second-ever World Cup finals.

The first part of that proposed narrative unfolded last year, with the Falcons finishing second behind Julian Naglesmann's troops in their four-team section, collecting 12 points from six matches, three points more than third-placed Northern Ireland.

Despite a positive campaign overall to date, Francesco Calzona's troops suffered a beating during their most recent competitive match in November 2025, when they were hit for six without reply in Leipzig by Germany, who inflicted Slovakia's heaviest defeat since January 2017.

Now on a mission to avoid back-to-back competitive losses for the first time since a mixed UEFA Nations League C campaign in 2022, the Falcons have home advantage in Bratislava for a winner-takes-all semi-final on Thursday.

No player scored more than once for Slovakia during their six-game qualification campaign, however, there are a number of players who will be familiar to English Championship fans, with Middlesbrough's David Strelec and Tomas Rigo of Stoke City both finding the net.

Since joining the UEFA ecosystem in September 2016 during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Kosovo have enjoyed a steady rise towards the upper reaches of international football, looking to make their first-ever major tournament this summer.

The Dardanians suffered defeat just once across six qualification matches last year but could only manage a second-placed finish in their section behind tournament regulars Switzerland, with the two nations sharing the spoils during their last meeting in Pristina in November.

Unlike Thursday's hosts, Kosovo possess an attacking talent making headlines in a top league, with 23-year-old Fisnik Asllani netting eight goals and providing five assists in 26 Bundesliga appearances for Hoffenheim this season.

Across competitive and friendly encounters, the Dardanians have lost just one of their past 11 matches dating back to November 2024, when the Balkan nation was fighting for promotion to Nations League B.

Taking his second international role following stints in German and Austrian club football, Franco Foda is at the wheel for Kosovo as they seek World Cup qualification, with the 59-year-old winning 12 of his 19 contests so far.

Slovakia World Cup Qualifying - Europe form:

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Kosovo World Cup Qualifying - Europe form:

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Team News

Slovakia are unable to call upon the services of Lubomir Satka, with the centre-back breaking a bone in his hand earlier this month.

Taking a break from fighting relegation at Burnley in the Premier League, Martin Dubravka will start in between the sticks for the Falcons.

A metronomical figure for the hosts in the middle of the park, Stanislav Lobotka will be hoping to have his fingerprints over all a Slovakian success on Thursday.

A former Turf Moor regular, Kosovo's Arijanet Muric is currently plying his trade at Sassuolo in Serie A ahead of this month's crucial playoffs.

Slovakia possible starting lineup:

Dubravka; Gyomber, Skriniar, Obert, Hancko; Rigo, Lobotka, Duda; Duris, Sauer, Strelec

Kosovo possible starting lineup:

Muric; Dellova, Rrahmani, Aliti, Gallapeni; Vojvoda, Hodza, Rexhbecaj, Musliga; Asllani, Muriqi