The International Football Federation (FIFA) has highlighted several key individual duels expected to be decisive in the European playoff semifinals for the 2026 World Cup qualification.
From the Slovakia – Kosovo match, FIFA singled out the duel between Kosovo’s striker Vedat Muriqi and Slovak defender David Hancko.
Hancko, who plays for Atlético Madrid, was named Slovakia’s Player of the Year 2025 on Monday. “The Slovak defender had an impressive first season at Atlético Madrid. He is praised for excellent tactical awareness and composure on the ball and can successfully play both as a center-back and left-back. He will face a challenging task against Kosovo’s fiery striker, Muriqi. Muriqi also plays in La Liga, excelling at Mallorca, scoring 18 goals in Spain’s top division—surpassed only by Kylian Mbappé,” FIFA wrote.
From the Poland – Albania match, FIFA highlighted the duel between Robert Lewandowski and Berat Gjimshiti as a key confrontation that could shape the outcome of the game.
