SOCCER PLAYERS from Kosovo

Top 5

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Soccer Players of all time. This list of famous Soccer Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Xherdan Shaqiri (1991 - )

With an HPI of 50.94, Xherdan Shaqiri is the most famous Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 62 different languages on wikipedia.

Xherdan Shaqiri (Albanian pronunciation: [dʒɛrˈdan ʃaˈciɾi]; born 10 October 1991) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a winger for Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire and the Switzerland national team. Shaqiri rose through the youth ranks at FC Basel. In his three years playing for the Basel first-team, he was an important player in the team that won three Swiss Super League titles. He moved to Bayern Munich in 2012, where he won three Bundesliga titles in his three seasons at the club. He faced stiff competition at Bayern and did not nail down a first-team spot. In January 2015, he moved to Inter Milan for a fee of €15 million. After half a season at Inter, he moved to Stoke City in the summer of 2015 for a club record £12 million. After Stoke's relegation from the Premier League in 2018, Shaqiri was transferred to Liverpool for a reported £13.5 million fee. He was part of the UEFA Champions League winning squad in his first season. He also won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2019, as well as the Premier League in 2020, Liverpool's first league title in 30 years. A full international since 2010, Shaqiri has earned over 120 caps and scored 30 goals for Switzerland, making him the country's second-most capped player and fourth-highest goalscorer. He represented the nation at the 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 FIFA World Cups, as well as UEFA Euro 2016 and Euro 2020.

2. Etrit Berisha (1989 - )

With an HPI of 37.06, Etrit Berisha is the 2nd most famous Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 35 different languages.

Etrit Fadil Berisha (Albanian pronunciation: [ɛtɾit bɛɾiʃa]; born 10 March 1989) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Italian Serie A club Empoli and captains the Albania national team. Berisha began his career at local club KF 2 Korriku as a youngster, as well also playing youth football with KF KEK, before joining Kalmar in 2008, initially as part of their youth setup. He was promoted to the first team in 2010, and soon made his debut for the club, establishing himself as a first team player with fourteen league appearances in his debut season. He cemented his position as the club's first choice keeper during the 2011 Allsvenskan campaign, helping his side achieve a mid-table finish as well as reach the 2011 Svenska Cupen final, which he did not play in as his side lost. Berisha remained the club's first choice goalkeeper, and his performances earned him the Allsvenskan Goalkeeper of the Year award for the 2013 campaign. In the summer of 2013, Italian club Chievo announced that they had a pre-contract agreement in place with Berisha, but he instead joined their Serie A rivals Lazio on a four-year deal, which caused controversy and led to the player being faced with a six-month suspension, although the case was eventually dropped against him. He competed with Italy international Federico Marchetti for the first choice goalkeeper spot at Lazio. Berisha is from Kosovo but is able to represent Albania through his Albanian ethnicity, and he was first called up to the Albania national team in 2012 by Italian head coach Gianni De Biasi, where he made his international debut against Iran on 27 May 2012. He was initially a backup for Samir Ujkani, but after just a few matches became Albania's first choice goalkeeper, with Ujkani switching allegiances to represent Kosovo in 2014. Berisha played an instrumental role in Albania qualifying for its first major international tournament, UEFA Euro 2016, becoming a fan favourite in the process.

3. Emir Bajrami (1988 - )

With an HPI of 33.91, Emir Bajrami is the 3rd most famous Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 27 different languages.

Emir Bajrami (born 7 March 1988) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a winger. Starting off his professional career with IF Elfsborg in 2006, he went on to represent FC Twente, AS Monaco, and Panathinaikos before retiring at Elfsborg in 2018. A full international between 2010 and 2012, he won 18 caps for the Sweden national team and was included in the squad for UEFA Euro 2012.

4. Fatos Bećiraj (1988 - )

With an HPI of 33.40, Fatos Bećiraj is the 4th most famous Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Fatos Bećiraj (Montenegrin: Фатос Бећирај, Albanian: Fatos Besim Beqiraj; born 5 May 1988) is a Montenegrin former professional footballer who played as a striker.

5. Albert Bunjaku (1983 - )

With an HPI of 31.53, Albert Bunjaku is the 5th most famous Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Albert Bunjaku (born 29 November 1983) is a Kosovar former professional footballer who plays as a striker. Having previously represented Switzerland, participating at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he switched to the newly formed Kosovo national team.