FIFA President Gianni Infantino paid an official visit to Kosovo today, where he was received with high honors by the President of the Republic, Vjosa Osmani, who presented him with a medal of appreciation on behalf of the state of Kosovo.
In her remarks, President Osmani praised Infantino’s contribution to the advancement and development of Kosovar football, emphasizing that his support has been essential since the very first days of Kosovo’s admission to the international football arena.
“President Infantino, you have been a devoted friend of Kosovo — a friend who has celebrated our progress. You have celebrated with us, stood by us, here in Kosovo and around the world. Your leadership in sports carries the same meaning as your leadership in values. Your support has helped transform Kosovo’s football into a source of national pride across the world. And for this, the people of Kosovo will always remain grateful. Football teaches us something fundamental: that victory is not only about the result. It’s about teamwork, perseverance, and above all, the belief that no matter how difficult the game gets, you always keep going. You always play — until the final whistle.”
For his part, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he was deeply touched by the hospitality and honor bestowed upon him by the state of Kosovo, calling Prishtina “the capital of the football world.”
“It is a great honor, great pleasure, emotion, and happiness for me to be here in my home in Kosovo and to receive this great honor, this medal from you, Madam President of the Republic of Kosovo, my good friend Vjosa Osmani, on behalf of a wonderful country that is Kosovo. Kosovo and Prishtina — today, the capital of the world, right? The capital of the football world, because as we all know, football is the most important thing in the world, so it is the capital of the world,” Infantino said.
The FIFA President did not hide his emotion as he recalled his relationship with the Kosovar football legend Fadil Vokrri, to whom he dedicated the medal received from President Osmani.
“I would like to dedicate this medal, this honor, to Fadil Vokrri and to all the people of Kosovo — both in Kosovo and abroad. I met Fadil many times, and I remember when Kosovo was a very young country — it still is — but it had just been born at the time, and the Football Federation of Kosovo wanted to become part of UEFA. At that time, I was at UEFA, and it was not easy to meet someone from Kosovo because it was a country that was not yet recognized. They told me, ‘Go and meet Fadil Vokrri,’ and I went, we met, we discussed. I was also responsible for the legal department then, and we were talking about statutes, regulations, and it took many years. I don’t know after how many meetings I told Fadil and Armand Duka: we’ve met enough times, I know what you want, and we’ll see what happens. We were waiting and gaining time, and that’s when I understood the perseverance and resilience of the people of Kosovo — who believed in their country and in what they wanted. That perseverance is what ultimately led to Kosovo’s effective membership in UEFA and FIFA,” Infantino emphasized.
In closing, Infantino highly praised Kosovo’s national football team, saying that it is the players who are showing the world the strength that Kosovo possesses in this sport./
