PARIS: The Albanian capital of Tirana erupted in joy after the national team won the Group A match with Romania, with Armando Sadiku scoring in the 43rd minute in Lyon, the first ever goal in a major tournament.
Thousands of Albanians gathered in fan zones, lighting firecrackers, sounding car horns, shouting loudly and waving the red and black national flag.
The three points against Romania may be not enough to qualify it for the next round but it is still the biggest ever success in the international sporta arena for the tiny western Balkan country's history.
"Goooooooooool....," wrote Prime Minister Edi Rama on his Twitter page after Sadiku scored.
Albania scored its first goal and won its first match at the European Championship, beating Romania 1-0 in Lyon.
Armando Sadiku headed in Albania's goal in the 43rd minute, meeting a cross at the far post and lofting the ball over Romania goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu.
The three points lifted Albania past Romania and into third place in Group A. Albania can advance to the round of 16 if it finishes among the top four third-place teams in the six groups.