European soccer’s governing body voted Tuesday to formally recognize the Kosovo Football Federation as its 55th member in a vote at its annual congress in Budapest. Serbia, which does not recognize Kosovo, reacted angrily to the decision and said it would work to overturn it.

Recognition by the European body, UEFA, paves the way for FIFA membership for Kosovo in a vote next week in Mexico. That would allow Kosovo to enter qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, a country that refuses to recognize it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/04/sports/soccer/uefa-recognizes-kosovo-paving-way-for-fifa-membership.html?_r=0