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France vs Albania Delayed After Wrong Anthem Was Played
- What: France’s Euro 2020 qualifier against Albania was delayed when Andorra’s anthem was played by mistake instead of Albania’s before kickoff, prompting an apology and a later 4-1 France win.
- Where: Stade de France, Paris, France.
- When: September 7, 2019, during a Euro 2020 qualifying match.
France’s Euro 2020 qualifier against Albania in Paris was briefly delayed after the wrong national anthem was played before kickoff. Instead of Albania’s anthem, the stadium broadcast played Andorra’s anthem, creating an awkward start to a major international match.
Anthem Mix-Up Before Kickoff
The mix-up happened on September 7, 2019, at the Stade de France. Players were lined up, the pre-match ceremony was underway, and then the error became obvious. Albania’s players reacted, and the ceremony had to stop. The anthem sequence was reset so Albania’s correct anthem could be played before the game began.
The delay lasted about 10 minutes, long enough to stand out in a tightly scheduled international fixture. Pre-match protocol at that level is usually polished and routine, especially at one of Europe’s biggest stadiums. That is part of why the mistake drew so much attention so quickly.
Apology After Stadium Error
The incident became even more notable because it prompted an apology at the highest level. French President Emmanuel Macron apologized to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama for the error. Reports from the time also noted that the stadium announcer initially made a separate verbal mistake when addressing the Albanian team, adding to the confusion before the match finally started.
France vs Albania Match Result
Once play began, the focus shifted back to football. France won 4-1, with Kingsley Coman scoring twice and Olivier Giroud and Jonathan Ikone also getting on the scoresheet. Albania’s goal came from Sokol Cikalleshi late in the match.
The reason the anthem error lingered in memory is simple: it turned a routine pre-match ceremony into an international story. In qualifiers of that scale, symbolic details matter almost as much as logistics, because national teams are representing countries, not just clubs. A short administrative mistake in Saint-Denis ended up involving heads of government and delaying one of the night’s biggest Euro 2020 qualifiers by roughly 10 minutes.
Did You Know?
France had already secured qualification for Euro 2020 months later, but this match remained memorable mainly for the anthem error.