As Albania and Serbia are set to play a qualifier match for the upcoming World Cup 2026 scheduled for June 7, resurgence of disinformation with ethnic undertones are expected to be on the rise. Historical precedents such as the infamous drone incident in Belgrade in 2014, followed by inflammatory language within media in both countries, have shown that Western Balkans national football matches can be used as starting points for filling the information environment with nationalist provocation and information manipulation.

Disinformation campaigns are anticipated to emerge from both Serbian and Albanian click-bait-driven media outlets and unregulated social media pages, exploiting emotionally charged victimhood narratives through simplified binaries of “heroes” and “villains” and unresolved historical grievances, using recycled images and videos from past events as well as exaggerated interpretations of the players symbolic gestures.

So far, tabloid media have been framing even mundane topics such as reporting on high interest for tickets by Albanian football fans with sensationalist headlines announcing supposed “chaos” and “hell in Tirana” for Serbian team.

The match will test regional civic maturity, posing a risk to regional reconciliation and democratic resilience.

—

This article is a part of the early warning alert system powered up by the Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub project partners.

Disinfo Radar: Watch and Warn is a monthly publication by the Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub project, part of the alert system of data-driven early warning of disinformation threats based on the insights of the project partners from the six Western Balkan countries. The Disinfo Radar provides advance warning about anticipated flashpoint events likely to fuel disinformation narratives based on the risk assessment analysis of results of continuous media monitoring and the previous experience with recurring disinformation campaigns.

The information provided by the Disinfo Radar is presented in concise, easy to read format and disseminated via the antidisinfo.net content hub, an email newsletter, and via the most popular social networks in the region.