// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Liridon Balaj a soccer star? Does he have a ball?
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 15 August 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Drita | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2014 | Rinia Isniq | ||
| 2014–2018 | Besa Pejë | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2019 | Besa Pejë | 46 | (27) |
| 2019–2022 | Aarau | 86 | (17) |
| 2022–2024 | Deinze | 19 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | → Schaffhausen (loan) | 21 | (1) |
| 2024–2025 | Skënderbeu | 18 | (1) |
| 2025– | Drita | 28 | (8) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017–2018 | Kosovo U19 | 5 | (0) |
| 2021– | Kosovo | 2 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22 June 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 26 July 2025 | |||
Liridon Balaj (born 15 August 1999) is a Kosovan footballer who plays as a midfielder for Drita of the Kosovo Superleague and the Kosovo national team.[1]
Club career
[edit]Besa Pejë
[edit]He started his professional career with Besa Pejë in 2016.[2]
Aarau
[edit]On 7 August 2019, Balaj signed a two-year contract with Swiss Challenge League club Aarau and received squad number 9.[2] One day later, he made his debut in a 4–2 away defeat against Chiasso after coming on as a substitute in the 74th minute in place of Petar Mišić.[3]
Deinze
[edit]On 2 September 2022, Balaj joined Deinze in Belgium on a two-year contract.[4]
Schaffhausen
[edit]On 8 September 2023, Balaj moved on loan to Schaffhausen back in Switzerland.[5]
Skënderbeu
[edit]On 18 September 2024, Balaj signed a three-year contract with KF Skënderbeu in the Albanian Kategoria Superiore.[6]
Drita
[edit]After Skënderbeu were relegated, Balaj signed a two-year contract with FC Drita in the Football Superleague of Kosovo on 26 May 2025.[7] He was part of the team that reached the 2025-26 UEFA Conference League knockout phase play-offs and scored one goal and gave two assists in that round against NK Celje.[8] [9]
International career
[edit]On 31 May 2021, Balaj received a call-up from Kosovo for the friendly matches against Guinea and Gambia.[10] Eight days later, he made his debut with Kosovo in a friendly match against Guinea after coming on as a substitute at 46th minute in place of Arbër Hoxha.[11]
Honours
[edit]- Drita
References
[edit]- ↑ Liridon Balaj at Soccerway
- 1 2 "Liridon Balaj wechselt für zwei Jahre zum FC Aarau" [Liridon Balaj is moving to FC Aarau for two years] (in German). FC Aarau. 7 August 2019.
- ↑ "Chiasso vs. Aarau 4–2". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ↑ "Welkom, Liridon Balaj!" (in Dutch). Deinze. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ↑ "Liridon Balaj neuer Mittelfeldspieler" [Liridon Balaj new midfielder] (in German). Schaffhausen. 8 September 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ↑ "OFFICIAL/ Balaj signs for Skënderbeu, 3-year contract". balkanweb.com. 18 September 2024.
- ↑ "The light is strengthened with a striker". koha.net. 26 May 2025.
- ↑ "Drita 2-3 Celje, player ratings: Liridon Balaj and Veton Tusha shine". telegrafi.com. 19 February 2026.
- ↑ "NK Celje 3-2 Drita Gjilan". as.com. 26 February 2026.
- ↑ "Challandes publikon listën e futbollistëve për dy miqësoret në Antali" [Challandes publishes the list of footballers for the two friendlies in Antalya] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ↑ "Guinea vs Kosovo, 8 June 2021". eu-football.info. 8 June 2021.
External links
[edit]- Liridon Balaj at Soccerway
  | This biographical article relating to association football in Kosovo is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
- 1999 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from La Chaux-de-Fonds
- Footballers from the canton of Neuchâtel
- Swiss people of Kosovan descent
- Swiss people of Albanian descent
- Sportspeople of Albanian descent
- Kosovan men's footballers
- 21st-century Kosovan sportsmen
- Kosovo men's youth international footballers
- Kosovo men's international footballers
- Swiss men's footballers
- Men's association football midfielders
- First Football League of Kosovo players
- FC Besa Peja players
- FC Aarau players
- KMSK Deinze players
- FC Schaffhausen players
- KF Skënderbeu players
- Football Superleague of Kosovo players
- Challenge League (Switzerland) players
- Challenger Pro League players
- Kosovan expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium
- Kosovan expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
- Expatriate men's footballers in Albania
- Kosovan expatriate sportspeople in Albania
- 21st-century Swiss sportsmen
- Kosovan football biography stubs