I predict a riot: Serbia drawn to host Albania in 2026 World Cup Qualifiers for first time since infamous 2014 abandonment

Serbian fans burn a NATO flag on October 14, 2014 during a Euro 2016 group I qualifying football match between Serbia and Albania in Belgrade. The match was abandoned after a drone carrying a pro-Albanian message was flown over the stadium, sparking violent scenes on and off the pitch. The match between the Balkan rivals was scoreless when it was stopped in the 41st minute after the drone trailing a "Greater Albania" flag flew over the Partizan Stadium in Belgrade and was brought down by a Serbia player. The incident triggered clashes between the two sets of players and a handful of the 20,000 Serbian spectators ran on to the pitch and tried to assault the Albanian team. .

Serbia will host Albania for the first time in over a decade after their last encounter ended with riot police surrounding the pitch and the game being called off in the first half.

The two countries have been drawn together in World Cup qualifying Group K alongside England, Latvia and Andorra.

UEFA has a short list of 'prohibited clashes' between nations that cannot be drawn together for political reasons. For this draw, that meant Belarus could not draw Ukraine, Gibraltar could not draw Spain, and Kosovo would not be paired with either Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Serbia and Albania drawn together ten years after brawl that led to match abandonment

(Image credit: Getty Images)

However, Serbia and Albania are not part of that list despite a long, complex and largely difficult relationship after decades of political tensions.

Things came to a head on the football pitch in a Euro 2016 qualifier in 2014 after a drone flew over the pitch carrying a flag featuring Albanian national symbols. A melee between the two sets of players began after Serbia defender Stefan Mitrovic leapt to bring down the flag.

A flag with Albanian national symbols attached to a remotely operated drone flies in the stadium during the Euro 2016 qualifier (Image credit: Getty Images)

Numerous Serbian supporters entered the pitch during the tussle, which turned it into a brawl in which four Albanian players suffered minor injuries. Albania also claimed their players were attacked by stewards and riot police, which Serbian officials denied.

That led to the game being suspended by English referee Martin Atkinson and riot police being deployed around the perimeter of the pitch.

Half an hour later, the game was abandoned at 0-0, with UEFA initially awarding a 3-0 forfeit victory to Serbia but also docking them three points and imposing a two-game order to play behind closed doors. Both sides were fined €100,000.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport subsequently reversed the walkover win on appeal, awarding the 3-0 win to Albania instead. The rest of UEFA's punishments were upheld.

Serbian fans were denied permission to attend the reverse fixture in Albania the following year.

Serbia ran out 2-0 winners thanks to a pair of injury time goals, but the result proved immaterial to both sides as Albania claimed automatic qualification for Euro 2016 while Serbia fell short of even making the play-offs.

The exact dates for the 2026 World Cup qualification games are yet to be announced, but qualifying games will be played in March, June, September, October and November 2025.