Albania and Israel return to action on Wednesday when they go head-to-head in a friendly fixture at the Air Albania Stadium. With both nations missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, they will be looking to gather momentum ahead of the UEFA Nations League set to commence in September.
Albania failed to bounce back from their World Cup qualifying heartbreak last time out when they fell to a 1-0 friendly defeat at the hands of Ukraine on March 31.
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With that result, Rolando Maran’s men have lost each of their last three matches, including a gut-wrenching 2-1 loss against Poland in the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff semi-finals on March 26.
Albania will follow Wednesday’s tie with another friendly against Luxembourg on June 6 in their final warm-up game before kicking off their 2026 Nations League campaign against Belarus on September 26.
Like Albania, Israel will miss out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a disappointing qualifying campaign, where they finished third in Group I of the qualifiers, six points behind runners-up Italy in the playoff spot.
Ran Ben Simon’s side kicked off their schedule for 2026 on March 31, when they fought back from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw against Georgia in a friendly at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium.
While Albania are in League C of the Nations League, Israel will be competing in League B, following their relegation from League A in 2024, when they finished rock-bottom in Group 2 with four points from six matches.
Albania vs Israel Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the seventh meeting between Albania and Israel, with Simon’s men claiming four wins from their previous six encounters, two more than Albania’s two victories.
- Their last meeting came back in September 2022, when Israel secured a 3-0 victory in Group B2 of the UEFA Nations League to make it three consecutive victories over Maran’s side.
- Albania have won four of their last five friendly matches, with the 1-0 defeat against Ukraine back in March being the exception.
- Israel have failed to win five of their most recent six games in all competitions, losing three and claiming two draws since September 2025.
Albania vs Israel Prediction
While Albania will be looking to find their feet and get their first win of the year on the board, they are in for a tough challenge against an opposing side who have won each of their last three encounters.
Israel boast a superior and more experienced squad on paper, and while we anticipate a cagey affair at the Air Albania Stadium, we fancy them to come out on top.
Prediction: Albania 1-2 Israel
Albania vs Israel Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result – Israel to win
Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals – Yes (There have been at least three goals scored in six of Israel’s last seven games)
Tip 3: Over 4.5 cards – No (There have also been fewer than five bookings in eight of Israel’s last 10 outings)
Edited by Peter Pedroncelli