Sport in Albania

[citation needed] Football is played by children at school and by grown-ups on the many indoor and outdoor fields located throughout the country.

At the UEFA Euro 1964 in Spain, Albania made its first-ever appearance at a major men's football tournament.

[20] Albania started the qualifiers of the UEFA Euro 2016 with an emphatic 1–0 away win against Portugal,[21] which was followed by a 1–1 draw against Denmark at the newly renovated stadium Elbasan Arena.

[26] After their close miss to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, in which Albania finished third in the Group with a record of six wins and 18 points along the way.

[30] In the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group E Albania were drawn together with Czech Republic, Poland, Faroe Islands and Moldova.

[41][42] Although drawing once more against the Faroe Islands Albania would finish the qualifications in the first place with 15 points for the first time ever in their history[43] being also eight matches unbeaten at the moment.

[55] They faced in the round of 16 the Swedish league side IFK Göteborg but lost both matches after two legs were played.

[56] In the following year in 1989-90 KF Tirana once more qualified for the best 16 of Europe as they defeated this time another Maltese side in Siliema Wanderers after two legs in the first round.

[61] In the following round Flamutari Vlora defeated then East German side Wismut Aue after two legs, winning at home with 2–0.

[65] As they qualified for the first time ever in the history as a football club to the knockout phase in the round of 32 in the 2019–20 UEFA Women's Champions League, in which they faced Fortuna Hjørring from Denmark.

After beating in Round 2 FC Vorskla Poltava from Ukraine, they first played a draw, but won the following match with 2–1 to qualify, for the first time ever as a country to the group stage of the UEFA Women's Champions League, in this years edition.

Notable for Albania by almost upsetting one of the strongest national basketball teams Yugoslavia by losing only by two points difference with an result of 74-72 respectively.

BC Partizani Tirana first competed for the Albanian Basketball Superleague in the 1969–70 FIBA European Champions Cup,[80] but lost both their first-round games against CS Dinamo București.

In the 1970–71 FIBA European Champions Cup, forfeited against İTÜ from Turkey in the first round due to a cholera outbreak at the time in Turkey[81] In the 1972–73 FIBA European Champions Cup BC Partizani Tirana faced Jeunesse Sportivo Alep from Syria, who withdrew yet again, allowing BC Partizani Tirana to progress to the round of 16 for the first time in their history.

[82] The 1973–74 FIBA European Champions Cup campaign saw even bigger success for BC Partizani Tirana, who faced Csepel SC in Hungary.

Despite an unlucky 57–58 loss away, at home the Albanian side won a FIBA European Champions Cup match for the first time, 78–71, to progress yet again in the round of 16 for the third year running.

Partizani Tirana faced in the Quarterfinal Groupstage in group E KK Partizan Belgrade, Budapesti Honvéd SE and Al Ittihad Aleppo respectively.

[90] The Albania women's national volleyball team won at the 1987 Mediterranean Games in Syria, their biggest success ever.

[93] The Albania national team participated in the 2018 Women's European Volleyball League, defeating Estonia in the third-place match, winning an unforeseen bronze medal.

The Albanian men Volleyball Club Dynamo Tirana were able to reach its heights at the CEV Champions League in 1971–72, after eliminating Panathinaikos Athens after beating it after both legs.

In the Semifinals Group Dinamo Tirana were able to win two matches, against CSKA Sofia 3-2 and Rebels Lier from Belgium with an 3-1 set were enough to go through to the finals.

[103] She wrote history for Albania as she won the first ever gold medal for her country at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich, winning the contest with a time of 9:11.31.

[108] She also secured the qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris after winning yet another gold medal this time in the Balkan Athletics Championship in Serbia.

Alban Beqiri won the first-ever medal for Albania at this competition, winning bronze in the light middleweight category.

[118] He recently fought against Jorick Luisetto in Wembley Stadium, extending his unbeaten record in boxing, after winning via split decision.

[135][136] Albania won so far five medals at the Mediterranean Games in wrestling with one of them gold,[137] one silver and three times bronze, since their debut.

[137] At the 2022 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade he wrote history, as he became the first Albanian to win the gold medal in the men's freestyle 57 kg division.

[140][141] The next year he secured Albania's first medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games, as he won silver in the freestyle 65 kg division.

[142] In the following year Zelimkhan Abakarov would win his second medal with bronze this time at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade in the Men's freestyle 57 kg category.

[148] The weightlifter Ymer Pampuri achieved a great feat as he is the first and only Albanian to break an Olympic record, in military press, after lifting 127,5 kg respectively.