Albania and the 2030 World Cup

Ranked 66th in the world, 31st in UEFA. 8.6% to qualify in our simulations.

Updated 22 October 2026

66thFIFA ranking, of 211

31stof 55 in UEFA

1376rating points

50 / 68attack / defence, out of 100

8.6%qualify (simulated)

Chances at the 2030 World Cup

Albania qualify in 8.6% of simulated campaigns: outsiders, but with a route that opens up often enough to be worth playing for. The single most likely outcome is not qualifying (91.4% of cycles).

When they are at the finals, Albania get out of their group 25.9% of the time; a quarter-final comes up in <0.1% of all cycles.

A 64-team World Cup would change the picture: with the extra places the simulator assumes for that format, Albania qualify in 16.3% of campaigns instead of 8.6%.

Qualify8.6%
Round of 322.2%
Round of 160.4%
Quarter-finals<0.1%
Semi-finals0%
Final0%
Champions0%

Share of 20,000 simulated cycles, from first qualifier to final, in which Albania got at least this far. How the simulation works · All 211 nations

The route to the finals

Europe's qualifying is played in twelve groups: each group winner qualifies, and the eight best runners-up play off for the last two places. Albania come in at the group stage.

There are 14 places for the 53 nations that have to qualify.

UEFA qualifying in full: format, what is official and every nation's odds.

How strong are they?

Albania have 1375.78 points in the FIFA ranking published on 7 October 2026, which places them 66th in the world and 31st of the 55 nations in Europe. The simulator uses that points total directly as the team's rating.

Their attack score is 50 and their defence score 68, on a scale of 1 to 100 built from the last 30 internationals. The scores describe a side built on defence: fewer goals scored than its rating would suggest, and fewer conceded.

What the match engine expects from Albania in three fixtures, over ninety minutes.
Opponent	Fixture	Expected goals	Win	Draw	Lose
North Macedonia	At home to the next side in the UEFA ranking	1.54 – 1.11	45%	28%	26%
Spain	At home to UEFA's highest-ranked side	0.27 – 2.49	3%	13%	84%
Argentina	Against the top-ranked side from another confederation, on neutral ground	0.27 – 2.50	2%	13%	85%

Around them in UEFA

Albania and the nations ranked around them in UEFA.
In UEFA	Nation	FIFA rank	Points	Qualifies	Champion
28	Bosnia and Herzegovina	57	1429	13.1%	0%
29	Romania	58	1429	11.6%	0%
30	Northern Ireland	64	1384	10.5%	0%
31	Albania	66	1376	8.6%	0%
32	North Macedonia	71	1351	6.5%	0%
33	Iceland	73	1349	8.0%	0%
34	Georgia	74	1346	7.4%	0%

Albania at the World Cup

They have never played at a World Cup finals.

Play it out: take Albania through Europe's qualifying, or change their rating in the team editor and see what it takes.

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