Eight years on after declaring independence from Serbia, Kosovo was officially recognised by FIFA in May and a week ago, this small nation was assigned to Group I of the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers, joining Iceland, Turkey, Ukraine, Finland and Croatia.
A team which played its first international friendly a couple of years ago and unheard of by many is going to be a part of the qualifiers of the most sought after tournament in international football. It doesn't get much better than this, does it?
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As we wait to see the newly admitted nation in qualifier action, here are five players who are eligible to represent Kosovo:
1) Xherdan Shaqiri
With unmistakable legs and a style of play resembling Lionel Messi, Xherdan Shaqiri is a familiar name in world football who was born in Kosovo. His agility, pace and raw power in shooting earned him the name Alpine Messi which sounds just about right.
Though he was always one to watch during his time with Basel, he gained massive attention when he completed his move to Bayern Munich. His time with the German champions lasted three years where he made 52 appearances scoring 11 goals.
He was part of the treble-winning side which dominated Europe under Jupp Heynckes although there was no place for him in the Champions League final which further cemented that he faced stiff competition for a place in the starting XI most of the time. He moved to Inter Milan in 2015 signing a four and a half year contract amidst interest from Stoke City. His playing time at Bayern in the 2014-15 was scarce and he had hoped it would change with Inter but it was the same story.
After an inconsistent six months with the Nerazzurri, the Swiss midfielder was bought by Stoke City for a then club record fee. His first season in the Premier League saw him link up with Bojan Krkic and Afellay, making 27 appearances in the league.
The Stoke midfielder has been making headlines recently, publicly stating that he would be considering a switch to Kosovo after he was overlooked as captain by Switzerland head coach Vladimir Petkovic. “What if the coach of Kosovo wants me as the captain? Of course, I am thinking about it then,” the 24-year-old said. Only time will tell if he would be playing for a different nation after Euro 2016.
2) Valon Behrami
You don't come across a player who has played for five different Serie A clubs often. Valon Behrami's Italian club career includes Genoa, Verona, Lazio, Fiorentina and Napoli. He has settled into Italian football so well that he recently said that he would like a return to the top flight of Italy after his current contract at Watford expires.
He is no stranger to the Premier League either as he joined West Ham United in 2008 becoming an integral part of the side managed by Alan Curbishley who resigned after the closure of the summer window that year.
The 31-year-old Swiss midfielder is known for his versatility and defensive workrate which was at its peak during a group stage match against Ecuador in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
His Euro 2016 highlights include qualification from the group stages, a standout performance against France and a burst ball.
3) Lorik Cana
Primarily a defensive midfielder, Lorik Cana is established in the centre-back role as well as a backup option in central midfield. He has made over 90 caps for Albania since 2003, making him their most capped player of all time.
The Albanian captain rose through the ranks of Paris-Saint Germain after joining them in 2000, making the first team in 2003 and becoming a major part of the club. He then joined rivals Marseille two years later and scored the winning goal in his first Le Classique, the derby between Marseille and his former club Paris Saint-Germain.
He played for Sunderland, Galatasaray and Lazio before returning to France with Nantes where he made 21 league appearances last season. Cana was Albania's Footballer of the Year for three successive seasons in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and also won the Albanian Fan's Footballer of the Year in 2009.
4) Granit Xhaka
Arsenal's latest signing Granit Xhaka was once dubbed "the young Schweinsteiger” by Ottmar Hitzfeld and his tackling and vision have also been much talked about. While there is still a long way to go to reaching his full potential, the foundations are firmly there.
His days at Borussia Monchengladbach saw him develop as a player and was the start of his journey to becoming a vital part of the Swiss national team. He made over 100 league appearances for the German side and was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Year in 2015, having started all the league games that season in which they finished third, securing Champions League qualification.
And after four years with Die Fohlen it was announced that he would be joining Premier League outfits Arsenal who finished second in the league last year. Arsene Wenger admitted that they have been tracking him for years before talking about how important his Champions League experience is for the club.
Arsenal fans would definitely be looking forward to seeing what he has in store for them and his performances so far for Switzerland in Euro 2016 suggests he has the attributes to adapt to the physical nature of the Premier League.
5) Adnan Januzaj
David Moyes' reign at Manchester United was short lived leaving the club in a troubled state. They had fallen well short of expectations, failing to qualify for the Champions League and nothing remarkable to show for apart from the FA Community Shield.
But there was a bright spark amidst all the talk of the results and the team's performances. A teenager who seemed to be of United quality had the fans expecting it was the rise of another left footed winger in Manchester. Adnan Januzaj blitzed through defences creating chances and reminded the United supporters of a certain Ryan Giggs and was allocated the number 11 shirt by Louis van Gaal in his first season in charge.
It is safe to say he couldn't recreate his performances under the Dutchman failing to make the most of the opportunities he got though he didn't get many. He was loaned out to Borussia Dortmund next season and that spell couldn't bring the best out of him.
The Belgian winger isn't part of the Belgium Euro 2016 squad which is a fair reflection of his past season. It will be interesting to see what his decision will be on his international future after being left out and the 21-year-old will be hoping he can flourish under Jose Mourinho and reach heights that the United fans had once hoped he would.
