From Rei Manaj’s goal in Serbia to Lara Colturi making history in skiing, wrestling and Megi Doçi

Manaj’s goal gave Albania a historic chance in the World Cup play-offs, while athletes in individual sports brought the country important medals for the first time in wrestling, skiing and weightlifting.

Rei Manaj’s shot that shook the net in the last minute of the first half in the Serbia-Albania match is probably the most sporting moment of the year, one that will be long remembered among football fans.

In addition to scoring the victory in what could be considered one of the hottest sporting clashes in the national team, Manaj’s goal paved the way for Albania to compete for the first time in the play-off phase for a place in the USA-Mexico-Canada World Cup in 2026. “The most important goal of my life,” said Manaj after the victory, which brought thousands of fans to the streets of Tirana, Pristina and dozens of other cities to celebrate.

Kosovo is also in the play-offs. The latter secured their place after two surprise wins against Sweden and an away win against Slovenia, another Balkan team. The youngest federation in Europe, which was only granted the right to compete as a national team in UEFA and FIFA competitions in 2016, has moved quickly, being one of the surprises of the qualifiers.

Unlike Albania, whose success is largely due to players raised abroad, Kosovo has raised the bar in its domestic league with teams like Balkan and Drita achieving historic European qualification. The latter, along with Shkëndija Tetovo, are still in contention for the UEFA Conference League title, having advanced past the group stage and are now awaiting the knockout stages.

Women’s football also achieved good results in 2025. The Albanian national team reached the play-off stage of the European Championship qualifiers for the first time and came first in its group in the Nations League, advancing to League B. The domestic championship continues to be dominated by Vllaznia and Megi Doçi, who continue to break records.

The victories in football, the sport with the most followers, are not the only ones. The loan of athletes from Russia, excluded from international competitions due to the invasion of Ukraine, has put Albania on the podium in wrestling for the first time. Chermen Valiev was first declared European champion in Bratislava and then reached the final of the World Wrestling Championship, where he took the silver medal. He was not alone: ??Zelimkhan Abakarov and Islam Dudaev also climbed the podium. Abakarov secured bronze medals at the European Wrestling Championship and Dudaev dominated the Grand Prix tournament in Spain, establishing Albania as a new world power in freestyle wrestling.

The 19-year-old skier born in Italy but competing for Albania, Lara Colturi, made history in 2025.

The 19-year-old Italian-born skier, Lara Colturi, who competes for Albania, made history in 2025. The golden girl of skiing dominated the Junior World Ski Championships held in Italy in February 2025, while also confirming her class in the World Cup, regularly ranking among the best, a previously unimaginable achievement for the red and black flag in winter sports. This season, Colturi has climbed the podium three times, taking a historic second place in Finland alongside the number 1 in the world, Mikaela Shiffrin. In the world championship, which continues, Colturi is ranked 6th and is the youngest among the skiers ranked in the top 10.

Skiing also brought historic victories for the Special Olympics team. Albanian skiers Elizon Kacanja and Stela Salla won 2 gold medals at the Special Olympics World Winter Games “Torino 2025”, making history for Albania in its debut at these winter games. The team secured 8 medals in total, with Vanesa Doçi winning the gold medal in “Snowshoeing” and Joanis Myrtollari and Joel Gërmënjin winning bronze medals.

Weightlifting, one of the sports where Albania has always had winners, had another successful year. In addition to the expected medals from Erkand Qerimaj and Briken Calja, two new weightlifters have stepped onto the stage. Enkilejda Carja, from Durrës, set new records, winning medals in several international youth competitions. Carja, in particular, shone with three gold medals at the European Youth Championships in Greece, while at the World Championships held in Lima she received a gold and a silver medal. Ertjan Kofsha, who competes for the under-23 age group, also climbed the podium with a silver and a bronze medal at the European Championships.

The judo queens, the athletes of coach Toni Kuka in Kosovo, continue to collect “gold”. Distria Krasniqi was a victory machine throughout 2025, collecting medals from Paris to Zagreb, untouchable in her category. But the stage is also giving way to Laura Fazliu, who with the silver at the World University Games showed that she is ready for the Olympic challenges. Akil and Nora Gjakova also brought medals from prestigious championships.

In the boxing ring, Donjeta Sadiku confirmed that she is the best boxer in the region, winning gold at the strong “Feliks Stamm” tournament in Poland, a victory that came after facing world champions.

In athletics, Luiza Gega, European champion in 3,000 meters in August 2022, brought new medals in 2025, when she won first place in the 5,000 meters race at the European Category Three Championships held in Sofia. Alongside her, Franko Burraj and David Nikolli showed that Albanian athletics is growing, with gold medals in team and individual competitions in Europe.

The handball sports of volleyball and basketball remain far from significant achievements; however, local championships have attracted more interest and there is increased rivalry. The Unike League in basketball, a joint championship between Albania and Kosovo, continues to be dominated by Kosovo teams. Meanwhile, in the Gjergj Kastrioti League in volleyball, also a joint championship between the two countries, competitions have been won mainly by Albanian teams for both genders.

Women’s volleyball, due to its history, remains one of the most competitive and followed competitions, but in 2025 the competition was “tainted” due to discriminatory attacks against Brazilian volleyball player Nayara Ferreira. The latter was suspended from the competition after biased requests for a gender test. Despite protests from the Dinamo team, for which she played, Ferreira did not return to the field and has left Albania.

2025 was also a good year for the organization. Several stages of the Giro d’Italia cycling race were held in the country for the first time. Meanwhile, in addition to various individual indoor sports championships, such as weightlifting, wrestling and the like, which have a tradition of organization in Albania, the European U17 Football Championship was held in the country for the first time, which was won by Portugal.

Amidst these successes on the field, track and podium, the year 2025 also marked a great loss for the national sporting memory, the passing of Ismet Bellova, the legendary voice who for decades was the bridge between the stadium and the homes of Albanians. Bellova, who passed away at the age of 91, closed a golden era of sports journalism. He left behind a legacy that serves as an inspiration for new generations of athletes and commentators./ BIRN