Belgium vs North Macedonia Prediction and Betting Tips

It is first versus second in Group J of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers as Belgium and North Macedonia lock horns in a crunch tie at Ghelamco Arena on Friday. It has been a stunning campaign for North Macedonia, who will be out to extend their unbeaten run and open up a four-point lead at the top of the pile.

Belgium picked up a second consecutive 6-0 victory in the World Cup qualifiers last time out as they hammered Kazakhstan when the two sides squared off at Lotto Park.

Before that, Rudi Garcia’s men picked up four points from their opening two games in Group J before storming to a 6-0 win over Liechtenstein at the Rheinpark Stadion on September 4.

Belgium, who are eyeing a fourth consecutive World Cup appearance, have picked up 10 points from their four qualifying matches so far to sit second in Group J, level on points with third-placed Wales.

Like Friday's host, North Macedonia turned in a five-star display on September 7, when they eased to a 5-0 victory over Liechtenstein at the Todor Proeski National Arena in Group J of the World Cup qualifiers.

This followed a 2-1 friendly defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia on September 4, a run which saw Blagoja Milevski’s side’s 10-match unbeaten run come to an end.

North Macedonia have picked up three wins and two draws from their five qualifying games so far to sit top of the table heading into the final three matches.

Belgium vs North Macedonia Head-To-Head and Key Numbers

This will be the sixth meeting between Belgium and North Macedonia, with Garcia’s men picking up three wins and two draws from their previous five encounters.
The two nations first met in November 1994, when they played out a 1-1 stalemate in the UEFA European Championship, while their most recent encounter ended in a similar 1-1 draw in June’s World Cup qualifiers.
North Macedonia are unbeaten in their last five competitive away matches, picking up four wins and one draw since a 5-2 loss against Italy in the Euro qualifiers back in November 2023.
Belgium have won all but one of their last five games in all competitions, with the 1-1 stalemate against North Macedonia on June 6 being the only exception.

Belgium vs North Macedonia Prediction

Having shown their mettle in the reverse fixture back in June, when they snatched a late draw on home turf, North Macedonia will be looking to stun Belgium once again and edge closer to sealing a first-ever World Cup spot.

However, we predict Garcia’s men will learn from their mistakes in June and secure all three points in front of their home supporters.

Prediction: Belgium 3-1 North Macedonia

Belgium vs North Macedonia Betting Tips

Tip 1: Result - Belgium to win

Tip 2: First-half winners - Belgium (Garcia’s men have led at half time in five of their last six matches)

Tip 3: Over 2.5 goals - Yes (There have also been at least three goal scored in five of Belgium's last six games)

About the author

Joshua is a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda who covers news and match previews. He fell in love with the sport watching Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o win titles at club and international level, and his passion for the sport led him to become a professional football writer. He has an overall professional experience of 5 years.

Joshua supports Chelsea at club level, having witnessed a number of African stars break records with the club. Drogba’s equalizing header and match-winning shootout penalty for Chelsea against Bayern Munich in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final left a last impact on him. His favorite player is Eden Hazard and favorite manager is Jose Mourinho, who gave him the most joyous days as a Blues supporter. He believes that Cristiano Ronaldo is unlucky to be born in Messi’s era and favors the Argentine in the G.O.A.T. debate.

Joshua also follows the Portuguese Primeira Liga and the Nigeria Professional Football League and loves to play football during his free time. Having attained a B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Ibadan, he employs his problem-solving skills in crafting articles while doing extensive research to ensure each article is well thought out and crafted.

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