Vedat Muriqi couldn’t contain his emotions and broke down in tears after scoring the winning goal for Mallorca against Real Madrid on Saturday in La Liga.
The score was tied 1-1 before Muriqi found the back of the net past Andriy Lunin in the 91st minute, securing three valuable points for Mallorca.
Muriqi explained his intense crying by saying he had been under a lot of pressure recently, especially after missing out on qualification for the 2026 World Cup with Kosovo.
“I may seem tough on the outside, but I’m only human, and sometimes my emotions and stress get the better of me,” said the 31-year-old striker.
He added, “I missed a penalty in the 92nd minute (against Elche), then I lost the World Cup playoff final, missing out on my biggest dream. Today, we equalized in the 88th minute and then won thanks to my goal.”
Kosovo had lost 1-0 to Turkey in the playoff final, a match in which Muriqui played but couldn’t help his country qualify for its first-ever World Cup.
Thanks to Muriqui’s goal today, Mallorca moved away from the relegation zone, reaching 31 points in 17th place, two points clear of Elche in 18th, the last relegation spot.
It’s worth noting that Muriqui is the second-highest scorer in La Liga this season, reaching 19 goals with his strike against Los Blancos.
