The Matchday 4 clash in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers between Latvia and Albania will take place on June 10 at the Skonto Stadium in Riga. Latvia vs. Albania: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Latvia
Paolo Nicolato's team missed the third round, playing a friendly against Azerbaijan, which ended in a goalless draw. The team also failed to impress in their March World Cup qualifiers. In the first round, Latvia narrowly defeated Andorra away (1-0) before suffering a heavy 0-3 loss to England. Latvia currently sits third in Group K after two matches.
- The team has not scored more than one goal in 7 of their last 8 World Cup qualifiers.
- No more than three goals were scored in 7 of Latvia's last 8 World Cup qualifying matches.
- Latvia is on a three-match losing streak at home in World Cup qualifiers.
Predicted lineup for Latvia (5-4-1)
Krišjānis Zviedris – Andrejs Cigaņiks, Daniēls Balodis, Antonijs Černomordijs, Raivis Jurkovskis, Roberts Savaļnieks – Dmitrijs Zelenkovs, Aleksejs Saveljevs, Jānis Ikaunieks, Alvis Jaunzems – Vladislavs Gutkovskis.
Albania
The Balkan team is currently second in their group, trailing behind England. Their only loss in the current World Cup qualifying cycle came against England (0-2). In the other two matches, Silvinho's side defeated Andorra (3-0) and drew with Serbia (0-0). Notably, Albania has failed to score in 4 of their last 6 European World Cup qualifiers.
- At least one team has failed to score in nine of Albania's last World Cup qualifiers.
- Two or more goals have been scored in 9 of Albania's last 11 away matches in this tournament.
- The team has failed to score in the first half in 6 of their last 8 away World Cup qualifiers.
Predicted lineup for Albania (4-4-2)
Thomas Strakosha – Elseid Hysaj, Arlind Ajeti, Berat Djimsiti, Mario Mitaj – Qazim Laci, Ylber Ramadani, Kristjan Asllani, Arber Hoxha – Rei Manaj, Armando Broja.
Referee
Halil Umut Meler (Turkey)
Matches – 9 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 34;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.8;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 20;
Penalties – 33%.
Match Prediction: Latvia vs. Albania
Albania is unlikely to challenge England for the top spot in Group K. However, they can compete for second place, which offers a playoff route to the 2026 World Cup. In the last round, Silvinho's team shared points with Serbia, their main rival for a potential World Cup spot.
To surpass Serbia in the standings, Albania needs to maximize their points against the group's weaker teams, Latvia and Andorra, both at home and away. The teams last met officially in the 1990s, when Latvia was arguably stronger (4 draws). Currently, Albania is in better form, while Latvia has only won 4 of their last 22 official matches, against much weaker opponents like the Faroe Islands (twice), Armenia, and Andorra.
My prediction: Albania to win
