Link: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/mar/27/kosovo-world-cup-qualification-fairytale-playoff

The minnows just need to win a playoff against Turkey at home to complete a qualification campaign that has become a rallying cry for national pride

I had missed this detail from the Kosovo - Slovakia match:

After Thursday’s dramatic 4-3 victory over Slovakia in the playoff semi-final in Bratislava, president of the Kosovo Football Federation, Agim Ademi, called the Kosovo players “gladiators”. People celebrated the win with fireworks on the streets of Pristina, and on social media. Slovakia, like Serbia, does not recognise Kosovan independence. Neither country’s football team, it was noted, will be crossing the Atlantic this summer.