Before the Albania–Finland match, the Albanian national team will mark another symbolic moment: the official farewell of Armando Sadiku. The striker, closely associated with the goal that gave Albania its first-ever win at a European Championship, is thus closing his chapter in the red-and-black shirt.
Ceremony before the match in Tirana
According to the official announcement, the farewell ceremony for Armando Sadiku will take place before the Albania–Finland match at the National Arena.
At this moment, the president of the Albanian Football Federation, Armand Duka, is also expected to be present, while the striker will receive his final salute from the red-and-black fans as a national team player.
The name linked to the most memorable goal of Euro 2016
Sadiku remains one of the most recognizable figures from Albania’s historic run at the European Championship in France. On June 19, 2016, he scored the only goal in the 1-0 win over Romania, a result that brought Albania its first victory in the history of the European Championship.
He started all three group-stage matches at that tournament and was part of the squad that secured Albania’s first qualification for a major international competition.
Record in the red-and-black shirt
Sadiku’s story with the national team began in 2012 and ended in 2023. During this period, he made 39 appearances and scored 12 goals.
These numbers place him among the most notable scorers in the history of the Albanian national team, while his place in sporting memory is mainly tied to the nights that changed perceptions of Albanian football on the European stage.
A career across several leagues
Sadiku began his path in Albanian football with Turbina, Gramozi and Elbasani, before moving to Switzerland, where he played for Locarno, Lugano and Zurich.
His career then continued in Poland with Legia Warsaw, in Spain with Levante, Malaga, Las Palmas and Cartagena, in Turkey with Erzurumspor, in Bolivia with Bolivar, in India with Mohun Bagan and Goa, while his most recent experience was with Bellinzona in Switzerland.
Armando Sadiku’s departure from the national team closes a cycle that, for many fans, is identified with one of the peaks of Albanian football.
Beyond the statistics, his name remains linked to that evening in France, when Albania claimed a victory that still holds a special place in red-and-black history.