North Macedonia vs Belgium

Belgium will begin their journey in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers with a game in Skopje against North Macedonia on Friday.

In their first couple of qualifying matches, the hosts got past Liechtenstein and drew with Wales.

The dream of making it to the World Cup finals for the first time drives North Macedonia, since their only recent major tournament was Euro 2020.

With their strong win in UEFA Nations League’s League C, they carried good momentum forward into the World Cup qualifying campaign ahead of 2026.

The team from North Macedonia started their World Cup qualifying with a 3-0 home victory over Liechtenstein in March.

Yet, North Macedonia failed to beat Wales, as Bojan Miovski’s goal in the 91st minute was matched by David Brooks right at the final whistle in a 1-1 tie, putting both teams tied in Group J.

Even though they didn’t take the win, the result continued their unbeaten streak for eight matches in a row, showing that they haven’t lost a match since the friendly against the Czech Republic in June 2024.

Actually, their last loss was against Italy in the Euro 2024 qualifiers in November this year and now they know that another defeat could be possible if they play against a Belgium side that is eight places higher in the FIFA world rankings.

Rudi Garcia took charge of Belgium’s national team earlier this year, replacing Domenico Tedesco, who was dismissed after a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign and a shaky Nations League run.

The Red Devils crashed out in the last 16 of the European Championship before stumbling further in the 2024-25 Nations League, finishing in the relegation playoff spot after losing four of their six Group A2 matches.

Garcia’s start wasn’t ideal—Belgium fell 3-1 to Ukraine in the playoff first leg—but they bounced back with a convincing 3-0 win in the return fixture, securing their place in League A for the next Nations League edition.

Now, the French manager turns his attention to World Cup qualifying, where Belgium are heavy favorites in a group featuring North Macedonia, Wales, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein. The Red Devils will be eager to book their ticket to a fourth straight World Cup, but first, they’ll need to improve their recent away form.

Their last victory on the road came in October 2023, a 3-2 win over Austria in Euro 2024 qualifying. Next up, they face North Macedonia in Skopje, hoping to replicate past successes—Belgium have won three of their four meetings with the Lynxes (D1), including two away wins: a 5-0 thrashing in 1995 and a 2-0 victory in 2013.