Kosovo Crowned 'World Champions' With Shock Win Over Sweden
Kosovo have been crowned unofficial 'world champions' following their shock victory over Sweden in World Cup qualifying.
Kosovo beat the Swedes 2-0 on Monday night in Alexander Isak's return to competitive football.
Goals from Elvis Rexhbecaj and Vedat Muriqi secured an impressive victory for the Balkan nation against a Swedish team featuring several household names, including Liverpool striker Isak, Arsenal forward Viktor Gyokeres and Newcastle's Anthony Elanga.
Isak was brought off the bench with around 17 minutes remaining in an effort to salvage a result but Kosovo were able to hold on at the Stadiumi Fadil Vokrri, despite Lindon Emerllahu receiving a red card in second-half added time.
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The win saw Kosovo move above Sweden in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Switzerland currently top Group B with six points ahead of Kosovo on three, with Sweden now only above bottom team Slovenia on goal difference having taken just one point from their opening two matches.
It was not just the three points that Kosovo took from the match but also the title of 'Unofficial Football World Champions'.
What is the Unofficial Football World Championship?
The title, which is not officially recognised by football's international governing body FIFA, is given to the 'team that beat the team'.
It uses a knock-out title system similar to that used in professional boxing, crowning a 'lineal' champion based on results stretching back decades.
The idea for the title originally stemmed from Scottish fans joking they were the new world champions after handing England their first loss following their 1966 World Cup win on home soil.
The Unofficial Football World Championship (UFWC) was later formed in 2002 and has tracked every result since Scotland's famous win over England, keeping tabs on the lineal football world champion.
Sweden were in possession of the title for just three months, claiming it off Algeria - who had held it themselves for seven months - with a 4-3 victory over the African side back in June.
Scotland are the most successful 'lineal' champions, having won 86 UFWC matches, with bitter rivals England second on the list with UFWC 73 title defences.
Argentina (72), Netherlands (58) and Italy (45) are next on the list, followed by Russia (41), Brazil (38) and France (33).
Kosovo are now guaranteed to hold the title for at least one month, with their next fixture coming at home to Slovenia on October 10.
Should Kosovo avoid defeat in that match, Sweden could get their revenge and reclaim the world title when the two teams meet days later in Gothenburg on October 13.
Topics: Sweden, Football, Alexander Isak, FIFA World Cup
Rory O'Callaghan