UEFA must want to watch the world burn as groups for 2026 World Cup qualifying were drawn on Friday with one group catching everyone’s eye. Group K of UEFA WCQ features England and two incredibly bitter rivals… Serbia and Albania.
Serbia and Albania have intense political tension and have only played each other twice with the last meeting being in 2015. UEFA have rules in place during draws for certain nations and clubs not to face each other in fear of violence.
For the 2026 WCQ draw Ukraine and Belarus weren’t allowed to be drawn in the same group. The same procedure was used for Kosovo with regards to Serbia and Bosnia. Gibraltar and Spain also weren’t allowed to be in a group together.
No restrictions were on Serbia and Albania. To the shock of fans, the two mortal enemies were pitted together in a group, meaning they will face each other twice. We won’t be surprised at all if the pair of games are played behind closed doors.
Here were some of the best reactions from fans.
Serbia Albania World Cup qualifying group reaction
Serbia & Albania in the same group https://t.co/VnkZ25JFXe pic.twitter.com/XJ4a5XUsjd
— Cultras Football Podcast (@thecultraspod) December 13, 2024
oh no LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOO https://t.co/9bCH8whwNb pic.twitter.com/SYPHnAMmfn
— vietnam man (blue check) (@maqwelll) December 13, 2024
They put WHO AND WHO together??? https://t.co/7yeyoXWvN3
— fragile opp (@316simsim) December 13, 2024
Me & the lads after backing 22 yellow cards in Serbia v Albania https://t.co/lxW4fclris pic.twitter.com/DfnSNqcU1d
— Fionn Viteža (@fionnviteza) December 13, 2024
the ref 6 and a half minutes into serbia v albania https://t.co/lc4KRnizbD pic.twitter.com/pwZE6bZaPB
— niran (@TheOfficialFNG) December 13, 2024
Serbia and Albania in same group https://t.co/N5cgVdFYOw pic.twitter.com/mkaVqBeQb1
— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) December 13, 2024
Me betting my life savings on 22 yellow cards in the Serbia vs Albania game pic.twitter.com/xdJf0mef5r https://t.co/93I1D5zHSk
— george (@StokeyyG2) December 13, 2024
When the two nations met in 2014 the game had to be abandoned when a drone flying a flag depicting a “Greater Albania” was flown over the stadium. A brawl broke out because of the flag.
SERBIA vs ALBANIA
Crazy Balkan match pending in 2026 World Cup qualifiers... pic.twitter.com/yJlkPavkmf— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) December 13, 2024
During Euro 2024 Albanian and Croatian fans chanted “kill the Serbs!” during their group stage game. A journalist from Kosovo had his credentials taken away after he made the hand gesture of Albania’s flag, a double-headed eagle, toward Serbian fans.
Serbia were also fined during the 2022 World Cup when they hung up a flag in their locker room showing a “Greater Serbia” with parts of Kosovo and other areas inside Serbia’s borders.
Another controversial instance came in the 2018 World Cup when Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka, who play for Switzerland but have Albanian roots, flashed the double-headed eagle gesture toward Serbian fans after scoring a late goal.
The scars of the 1990s Balkan wars are still a flashpoint nearly 30 years later.
Having these two nations in the same group will undoubtedly cause drama.
