Visar Bekaj

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Visar Bekaj

|image =

|caption =

|fullname = Visar Bekaj

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|5|24|df=y}}

|birth_place = Pristina, FR Yugoslavia

|height = 1.90 m

|position = Goalkeeper

|currentclub = Hatayspor

|clubnumber = 12

|youthyears1 = 2003–2013

|youthclubs1 = Ramiz Sadiku

|youthyears2 = 2013–2015

|youthclubs2 = Prishtina

|years1 = 2014–2020

|clubs1 = Prishtina

|caps1 = 159

|goals1 = 0

|years2 = 2020–2023

|clubs2 = Tirana

|caps2 = 103

|goals2 = 0

|years3 = 2023–

|clubs3 = Hatayspor

|caps3 = 18

|goals3 = 0

|nationalyears1 = 2013

|nationalteam1 = Albania U17

|nationalcaps1 = 3

|nationalgoals1 = 0

|nationalyears2 = 2017–2018

|nationalteam2 = Kosovo U21

|nationalcaps2 = 8

|nationalgoals2 = 0

|nationalyears3 = 2015–

|nationalteam3 = Kosovo

|nationalcaps3 = 8

|nationalgoals3 = 0

|club-update = 14 May 2025

|nationalteam-update = 8 June 2024

}}

Visar Bekaj (born 24 May 1997) is a Kosovan professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Turkish club Hatayspor and the Kosovo national team.

Club career

=Prishtina=

==2019–20 season==

On 27 June 2019, Bekaj commenced his fifth season with a draw in 2019–20 UEFA Europa League preliminary round match against Gibraltarian side St Joseph's after being named in the starting line-up.{{cite web|url=http://prishtinafc.com/al/lajme/post/uel-prishtina-st-josephs-1-1|title=UEL: Prishtina – St Joseph's 1–1|language=Albanian|publisher=FC Prishtina|date=28 June 2019}}

===Failure to join with 1899 Hoffenheim===

On 4 July 2019, Prishtina through a communiqué stated that Bekaj, most likely in Gibraltar against St Joseph's has played his last official match with Prishtina and is soon expected to move to 1899 Hoffenheim.{{cite web|url=http://prishtinafc.com/al/lajme/post/visar-bekaj-do-te-transferohet-jashte-vendit|title=Visar Bekaj do të transferohet jashtë vendit|trans-title=Visar Bekaj will be transferred abroad|language=Albanian|publisher=FC Prishtina|date=4 July 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://indeksonline.net/portieri-visar-bekaj-ne-hoffenheim/|title=Portieri Visar Bekaj në Hoffenheim?|trans-title=Goalkeeper Visar Bekaj at Hoffenheim?|quote=Pas shumë viteve të kaluara te ekipi nga kryeqyteti, Bekaj dëshiron të vazhdoj karrierën jashtë Kosovës. Ai është negociata me skuadren gjermane Hoffenheim. "Ende nuk kam nënshkruar kontratë por jemi afër marrëveshjes" tha Bekaj për Indeksonline|language=Albanian|website=Indeksonline|date=6 August 2019}} On 4 September 2019, Bota Sot confirms that Bekaj's transfer to 1899 Hoffenheim has failed after the German club request in TMS system to Prishtina was missing.{{cite news|url=https://www.botasot.info/futboll-sporti/1149113/deshton-transferimi-i-bekajt-ne-gjermani-ja-ku-do-ta-vazhdoje-karrieren/|title=Dështon transferimi i Bekajt në Gjermani, ja ku do ta vazhdojë karrierën|trans-title=Bekaj's transfer to Germany is failing, where he will continue his career|quote=Visar Bekaj mund të mbetet te FC Prishtina. Kjo pasi që transferimi i tij te skuadra gjermane Hoffenheim është pranë dështimit .Afati kalimtar i transferimeve në Gjermani ka përfunduar, ndërkohë që ka munguar kërkesa e klubit gjerman në sistemin TMS në drejtim të FC Prishtinës|language=Albanian|publisher=Bota Sot|date=4 September 2019}}

===Return to Prishtina===

Bekaj returned to Football Superleague of Kosovo side Prishtina, On 13 September 2019, he played the first game after the return against Llapi after being named in the starting line-up.{{cite news|url=https://korneri.net/formacioni-zyrtare-i-prishtines-4/|title=Formacioni zyrtarë i Prishtinës|trans-title=Official line-up of Prishtina|language=Albanian|website=Korneri.net|date=13 September 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://prishtinafc.com/al/lajme/post/java-iv-prishtina-llapi-0-1|title=Java IV: Prishtina – Llapi 0:1|trans-title=Week IV: Prishtina - Llapi 0:1|language=Albanian|publisher=FC Prishtina|date=14 September 2019}}

=Tirana=

On 29 August 2020, Bekaj signed a three-year contract with Kategoria Superiore club Tirana.{{cite web|url=https://kftirana.al/kf-tirana-mirepret-visar-bekaj/|title=KF Tirana mirëpret Visar Bekaj!|trans-title=KF Tirana welcomes Visar Bekaj|language=Albanian|publisher=KF Tirana|date=29 August 2020}} His debut with Tirana came on 1 October in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League play-off round against Young Boys after being named in the starting line-up.{{cite news|url=https://gazetablic.com/archive2021/visar-bekaj-nga-minuta-e-pare-formacionet-zyrtare-young-boys-tirana/|title=Visar Bekaj nga minuta e parë, formacionet zyrtare: Young Boys – Tirana|trans-title=Visar Bekaj from the first minute, official lineups: Young Boys – Tirana|language=Albanian|website=Gazeta Blic|date=1 October 2020}}

International career

=Youth career and first senior call-up=

In December 2012, Bekaj received a call-up from Albania U17 for a selection camp in Pristina, Kosovo from 3–4 December 2012.{{cite web|url=https://fshf.org/sq/selection/seleksionimi-03-04-dhjetor-2012/|title=Seleksionimi 03–04 dhjetor 2012|trans-title=Selection 03–04 dhjetor 2012|language=Albanian|publisher=Albanian Football Association|date=December 2012|access-date=9 October 2017}} On 7 October 2015, he received a call-up from Kosovo for the friendly match against Equatorial Guinea.{{cite news|url=http://www.gazetaexpress.com/sport/kosova-publikon-listen-e-lojtareve-kunder-guinese-135591/?archive=1|title=Kosova publikon listën e lojtarëve kundër Guinesë|trans-title=Kosovo publishes the list of players against Guinea|publisher=Gazeta Express|language=Albanian|date=7 October 2015|access-date=16 October 2017|archive-date=6 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206001725/https://www.gazetaexpress.com/sport/kosova-publikon-listen-e-lojtareve-kunder-guinese-135591?archive=1|url-status=dead}} His debut with Kosovo came on 13 November in a friendly match against Albania after coming on as a substitute at 89th minute in place of captain Samir Ujkani.{{cite web|url=https://www.ffk-kosova.com/feste-emocion-dhe-spektakel-futbolli/|title=Festë, emocion dhe spektakël futbolli|trans-title=Holiday, emotion and football spectacle|language=Albanian|publisher=Football Federation of Kosovo|date=13 November 2015}}

=Return to youth team=

On 21 March 2017, Bekaj received a call-up from Kosovo U21 for a 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against Republic of Ireland U21,{{cite web|url=http://ffk-kosova.com/2017/03/21/perfaqesuesja-u21-udheton-neser-ne-mengjes-ne-dublin/|title=Lista e futbollistëve të Përfaqësueses U21|trans-title=List of the players of national U21 team|language=Albanian|publisher=Football Federation of Kosovo|date=21 March 2017|access-date=11 September 2021|archive-date=3 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403174628/http://ffk-kosova.com/2017/03/21/perfaqesuesja-u21-udheton-neser-ne-mengjes-ne-dublin/|url-status=dead}} and made his debut after being named in the starting line-up.{{cite web|url=http://ffk-kosova.com/2017/03/25/kosova-u21-e-pafat-kunder-irlandes/|title=Kosova U21 e pafat kundër Irlandës, humb me rezultat të ngushtë|trans-title=Kosovo U21 unlucky against Ireland, loses with a close result|language=Albanian|publisher=Football Federation of Kosovo|date=25 March 2017|access-date=11 September 2021|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401192602/http://ffk-kosova.com/2017/03/25/kosova-u21-e-pafat-kunder-irlandes/|url-status=dead}}