Besfort Zeneli is a Swedish professional footballer of Kosovo Albanian origin who plays as a central or attacking midfielder.
Born on 21 November 2002 in Säter, Sweden, he grew up in the country after his parents, originally from the Selac area near Mitrovica in Kosovo, settled there.
Zeneli developed his game with a blend of physical presence, technical ability, vision, and work rate in midfield.
He currently plays for Belgian club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and represents the Sweden national team, having previously featured for Kosovo at under-21 level before switching allegiance.
By mid-2026 he had established himself as a regular international with multiple caps and a place in Sweden’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Siblings
Besfort is the younger brother of professional footballer Arbër Zeneli.
Arbër, born in 1995, is also a product of the IF Elfsborg youth system and has enjoyed a career that includes spells in the Netherlands, France and Turkey before returning to Elfsborg.
He represents the Kosovo senior national team, in contrast to Besfort’s choice of Sweden.
The brothers have played together at club level for Elfsborg and have spoken publicly about their close relationship, shared upbringing in Sweden, family ties to Kosovo, and the unusual situation of potentially facing each other in international matches.
Career
Zeneli joined IF Elfsborg’s youth ranks at the age of six around 2007 and progressed through every level of the club’s academy.
He enjoyed notable success in the youth teams, including captaining the under-21 side to a Swedish championship title and scoring prolifically, with one season yielding 30 goals at under-19 level.
He signed his first professional contract with Elfsborg in January 2022.
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His senior debut came later that year in European competition against Molde, followed by his Allsvenskan debut against GIF Sundsvall.
Early senior seasons involved limited appearances as a substitute, but his development accelerated after the summer of 2024 when Oscar Hiljemark took over as manager and placed greater trust in him as a central midfielder.
By 2025 he had become a regular starter, contributing goals and assists while occasionally wearing the captain’s armband.
In total he made around 93 competitive appearances for Elfsborg, scoring five goals and providing 15 assists, and featured in European campaigns including Europa League qualifiers.
In January 2026 he transferred to Belgian champions Royale Union Saint-Gilloise on a contract running until 2030, a move described by Elfsborg as their largest transfer in terms of overall package at the time.
At Union he quickly adapted, contributing goals and assists in the Jupiler Pro League and helping the side in domestic cup competitions.
On the international stage he first represented Kosovo under-21s before FIFA approved his switch to Sweden.
He made his senior Sweden debut in March 2025 against Luxembourg and later featured in the play-off matches that secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup, including an influential substitute appearance against Poland.
He was selected for the World Cup squad and made appearances during the tournament.
Accolades
Zeneli’s honours include a Swedish under-21 championship title as captain with IF Elfsborg.
In 2025 he was named Player of the Year at the club’s internal awards gala.
After moving to Belgium he helped Royale Union Saint-Gilloise win the Belgian Cup in 2026, defeating Anderlecht in the final, and also claimed the Belgian Super Cup that year.
He earned recognition as Player of the Month in the Belgian league for his performances in March 2026.
His contributions to Sweden’s successful World Cup qualifying campaign, including key moments in the decisive play-off, further marked his rising profile.
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