🔊 Can Belgium secure their first win in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers? They're just kicking off their campaign, while their group opponents have already played two matches each. It quickly became clear that North Macedonia would be one of the main contenders for a spot at the World Cup. Equally concerning for Belgium is the Welsh national team, whom they will face during this international break. Therefore, the match in Skopje at the "National Arena Toshe Proeski" is crucial for both teams. The favorite in this matchup is evident, but we'll explore different scenarios to make a well-founded prediction.

Head-to-Head

📊 Belgium have never lost to North Macedonia and conceded their only goal more than 30 years ago. However, these teams haven't faced each other in the past 12 years.

North Macedonia Team Overview

🔴 North Macedonia remain unbeaten in official matches since the Euro 2024 qualifiers began. Since then, they've collected 16 out of 18 points in the UEFA Nations League, albeit in League C. The team dropped points in their opening match against the Faroe Islands (1-1) but followed up with five clean-sheet victories to top their group.

🔗 Their unbeaten streak has continued into the current qualification campaign, thanks to excellent organization. A simplified style of play helped them secure a commanding away win against Liechtenstein (3-0). However, against Wales, they were mostly on the defensive. They did manage to open the scoring in stoppage time, but a lapse in concentration allowed the Welsh to quickly equalize (1-1).

🔝 The North Macedonian national team may not be filled with superstars, but several of their players compete in Europe's top leagues. Keep an eye on Bojan Miovski (Girona). He missed the last La Liga round due to injury but has been called up for the national squad. The forward has scored against both Liechtenstein and Wales, placing him among the leading scorers in the 2026 World Cup qualification.

Belgium Team Overview

😈 The generational shift within the Belgian national team has been notably prolonged. Essentially, it began under Domenico Tedesco, during whose tenure the team faltered in Euro 2024 and the last UEFA Nations League campaign. As a result, he was dismissed in the winter, and Rudi Garcia, who had no prior experience with national teams, was brought in. His debut came in the playoff matches against Ukraine, battling to maintain their spot in UEFA Nations League Division A. The Belgians suffered a defeat away (1-3) but bounced back in the return leg (3-0). Consequently, the team missed the start of the qualification cycle for the 2026 World Cup.

🔗 It's hard to say that Rudi Garcia has radically changed the Belgian squad. Romelu Lukaku remains at the forefront of the attack, having scored three of the four goals against Ukraine. This season, he played for Napoli, clinching the Serie A title. In the national team, he will reunite with Kevin De Bruyne, who has also been called up for the upcoming matches. In the future, they might become club teammates and compete for a second consecutive Scudetto for Napoli.

Latest news

North Macedonia

🎙 North Macedonia's national team player Kristijan Trapanski believes the team can secure points in their upcoming matches: "The motivation within the team is at its peak. These are our final games of the season, and I think we are ready. We respect everyone, and I believe we'll have a solid approach, starting with Belgium and then Kazakhstan. Individually, Belgium have top-class players, but I think if we prepare well tactically, we can compete with them."

❌ The only newcomer to the Macedonian squad for the upcoming matches will be Stefan Despotovski (OFK Belgrade). Meanwhile, defenders Darko Velkoski and Nikola Serafimov, along with midfielder Lirim Qamili, are sidelined due to injuries.

Belgium

✅ Under Tedesco, there were conflicts within the national team. For instance, Thibaut Courtois did not participate in Euro 2024 and was no longer called up to the squad: “The issue wasn’t about the captain’s armband. It was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. The problem with the individual [Tedesco] was much broader. He misrepresented the situation, damaging my image. I no longer trusted him.” However, the Real Madrid goalkeeper will return to the national team under Rudi Garcia's leadership for the upcoming match.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The main referee for the match is Chris Kavanagh from England. This season, he has officiated three international matches, handing out an average of 4.67 yellow cards per game. This aligns with his overall season statistics across all competitions, where he averages five cautions per match.

North Macedonia tends to receive more yellow cards on average (2.6 compared to 2). Matches involving them see an average of 4.5 yellow cards. Considering the referee's statistics, a bet on total yellow cards over 4.5 is a reasonable option.

⚽️ Goals Prediction

North Macedonia may not match Belgium in terms of squad strength, but that doesn't mean they'll only focus on defense. The local fans expect more, especially since Blagoja Milevski's side has scored in 10 consecutive matches, including eight home games. Belgium's defense isn't particularly reliable, as their backline is weaker compared to other areas of the team. Therefore, a bet on North Macedonia to score appears promising.

🚩 Corners Prediction

Belgium holds the edge in corner kicks (6.8 compared to 4.1). Their matches average 10.3 corners. In seven of their last eight away games, there have been at least nine corner kicks. Under such circumstances, considering a bet on total corners over 8.5 seems worthwhile.

It's still unclear what style Belgium will adopt under Rudi Garcia's leadership. They've only played two matches so far, but we witnessed them struggle against Ukraine away from home. North Macedonia may not boast the same level of flair, but they are a more organized team, featuring a quality goalkeeper in Stole Dimitrievski, although he's been lacking game time at Valencia. Therefore, a potential slip-up by Belgium wouldn't be shocking. In this scenario, a predicted scoreline of 1-1 seems reasonable.

North Macedonia enters the match with an impressive unbeaten streak, albeit not against opponents of Belgium's caliber. However, the hosts have consistently put up a fight against stronger national teams on their home turf. Thus, our key bet recommendation is for North Macedonia to win with a +1.5 handicap. Notably, they have gone unbeaten in their last 10 home matches.