Vedat Muriqi led the Kosovo national team to the final of the 2026 World Cup play-offs following a thrilling 4-3 victory over Slovakia in Bratislava, leaving them just one match away from realising their historic dream of reaching the World Cup for the first time.
However, Kosovo fell to a 1-0 defeat in the final on home soil in Pristina against Turkey, seeing the historic dream evaporate before the fans at the Fadl Fokri Stadium on a night dominated by the tears of the players, led by captain Muriki.
Muriki himself summed up that period by saying he had endured two extremely difficult weeks, beginning with a crucial missed penalty for Real Mallorca in the 92nd minute of their defeat to Elche in the relegation battle, followed by the loss of the play-off final against Kosovo and the loss of the World Cup dream, which he described as the greatest dream of his life.