kids encyclopedia robot

North Macedonia national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see North Macedonia women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
North Macedonia
Nickname(s)
  • Рисови
    Risovi (Lynxes)
  • Лавови
    Lavovi (Lions)
Association Football Federation of Macedonia
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Blagoja Milevski
Captain Enis Bardhi
Most caps Goran Pandev (122)
Top scorer Goran Pandev (38)
Home stadium Toše Proeski Arena
FIFA code MKD
First colours
Second colours
Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current 71 Decrease 3 (7 February 2019)
Highest 46 (October 2008)
Lowest 166 (March 2017)
Elo ranking
Current 77 Increase 1 (3 March 2019)
Highest 41 (12 April 2017)
Lowest 113 (January 2017)
First international
Unofficial
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Vojvodina 3–1 Macedonia Socialist Republic of Macedonia
(Belgrade, Yugoslavia; 3 September 1945)
Official
 Slovenia 1–4 Macedonia 
(Kranj, Slovenia; 13 October 1993)
Biggest win
 Liechtenstein 1–11 Macedonia 
(Eschen, Liechtenstein; 9 November 1996)
Biggest defeat
 England 7–0 North Macedonia 
(Manchester, England; 19 June 2023)
European Championship
Appearances 1 (first in 2020)
Best result Group stage (2020)
Website ffm.mk

The North Macedonia national football team represents North Macedonia in international football games for men. The team is managed by the Football Federation of Macedonia. They play their home matches at the Toše Proeski National Arena in Skopje.

North Macedonia made history by reaching Euro 2020, which was their first big tournament. They also made it to the European play-off final for the 2022 World Cup. This happened after they beat strong teams like Germany in Duisburg and Italy in Palermo.

History of the Team

Starting Years (1991–1996)

Soccer Field Transparant.svg

Z. Micevski
Jovanovski
Grozdanov
Najdoski
Markovski
Kanatlarovski
T. Micevski
Boškovski
The team during their first official international match against Slovenia on 13 October 1993.

First Official Match

North Macedonia played its first official international match on 13 October 1993. They won 4–1 against Slovenia in a friendly game. Andon Dončevski was the coach at that time. In 1994, after gaining independence from Yugoslavia, the Republic of Macedonia became a member of FIFA and UEFA.

Euro 1996 Qualifiers

The UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying was the first major tournament where Macedonia tried to qualify as an independent country. They were in a group with strong teams like Spain and Denmark. In their very first qualifying game, they played against Denmark, who were the European champions at the time. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, which was a great start for Macedonia. However, they did not qualify for UEFA Euro 1996, finishing fourth in their group.

Hadžievski, Kanatlarovski, and Jovanovski's Time (1996–2001)

1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification

The team started their journey to the 1998 World Cup with a 3–0 win against Liechtenstein on 24 April 1996. On 9 November 1996, Macedonia had their biggest win ever, beating Liechtenstein 11–1. They also defeated the Republic of Ireland 3–2 at home, which was their first win against a major European team. Despite these wins, they did not qualify for the World Cup, finishing fourth in their group.

UEFA Euro 2000 Qualification

For the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifiers, Macedonia was in a group with teams like FR Yugoslavia and Croatia. They started well with a 4–0 win against Malta on 6 September 1998. A notable game was a 1–1 draw against Croatia in June 1999. They finished fourth in the group and did not qualify.

2002 FIFA World Cup Qualification

Macedonia's journey to the 2002 World Cup saw them in a group with Sweden and Turkey. They lost their first match 2–0 to Slovakia on 3 September 2000. The team did not qualify for the 2002 World Cup, finishing fourth in their group.

Ups and Downs (2001–2006)

UEFA Euro 2004 Qualification

In the Euro 2004 Qualifiers, Macedonia played against teams like England and Turkey. A memorable match was against England in Southampton. Macedonia took the lead early when Artim Šakiri scored directly from a corner kick. The game ended in a 2–2 draw. Macedonia's only win in this campaign was a 3–1 victory over Liechtenstein on 7 June 2003.

2006 FIFA World Cup Qualification

On 9 October 2004, Macedonia surprised everyone by holding the Netherlands to a 2–2 draw in Skopje. However, just four days later, they lost 1–0 to Andorra. They also had a tough loss, 6–1, against the Czech Republic in June 2005.

Srečko Katanec Era and Best FIFA Ranking (2006–2010)

Euro 2008 Qualifiers

Agim Ibraimi (2011)
Agim Ibraimi

Macedonia began their UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying games with a 1–0 win against Estonia on 16 August 2006. They played England again on 6 September, losing 1–0. A month later, on 7 October 2006, they drew 0–0 with England in Manchester. On 17 October 2007, Macedonia won a home game for the first time since August 2004, beating Andorra 3–0.

One of their most impressive wins was a 2–0 victory over Croatia on 17 November 2007. This was their first win against a team ranked in the top ten by FIFA World Rankings. Despite these efforts, Macedonia did not qualify for Euro 2008, finishing fifth in their group.

2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification

Vanče Šikov 2011
Vanče Šikov

For the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Macedonia was grouped with the Netherlands, Scotland, Norway, and Iceland. On 6 September 2008, they started with a 1–0 home win against Scotland. After these good results, they reached their highest ever FIFA ranking, 46th, in October 2008. However, coach Srečko Katanec left the team in April 2009.

Decline and Comeback (2010–2018)

Euro 2012 Qualifiers

Veliče Šumulikoski 2011
Veliče Šumulikoski

Macedonia was in Group B for the Euro 2012 qualifiers. They finished fifth in their group with only two wins against Andorra and two home draws. Coach Mirsad Jonuz was replaced by John Toshack on 18 June 2011.

2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification

For the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Macedonia was grouped with Croatia, Serbia, and Belgium. Coach John Toshack left in August 2012 and was replaced by Čedomir Janevski. The team had some tough matches but managed to beat Serbia at home. They also beat Wales. After Janevski left, Zoran Stratev took over for the last two matches. Many key players like Goran Pandev retired from the national team around this time. In November 2013, Boško Gjurovski became the new manager.

UEFA Euro 2016 Qualification

Ukro-Maki (12)
The team before a match with Ukraine in 2014

In the Euro 2016 qualifiers, Macedonia was in Group C with Spain and Ukraine. They had a tough start with a 5–1 loss against Spain. Their only victory was against Luxembourg in Skopje. After four losses, coach Boško Gjurovski was replaced by Ljubinko Drulović. The team finished last in their group.

2018 World Cup Qualifiers

For the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Macedonia was again in a group with Spain and also Italy. In October 2015, Igor Angelovski became the new manager, and Goran Pandev returned to the national team. They had a difficult start, losing to Albania and Israel. They also lost to Italy despite leading 2–1 at one point. By the end of 2016, Macedonia had not scored any points in the qualifiers.

In March 2017, Macedonia got their first 3–0 win in the qualifiers against Liechtenstein. They also achieved their first ever victory against Israel, winning away from home.

2018–Present: Recent Successes

2018–19 UEFA Nations League D

Горан Пандев
Goran Pandev is North Macedonia's top goalscorer and their most capped player.

In the first ever UEFA Nations League, Macedonia played in League D, the lowest division. They won their group with five wins and one loss, earning promotion to League C for the next tournament. This also guaranteed them a spot in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs.

Euro 2020 Qualifiers

Ukro-Maki (14)
Stefan Ristovski

For the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying, North Macedonia was in Group G. They had good results with a 1–1 away draw against Slovenia and a 3–1 home win against Latvia. Although they finished third in their group, their success in the Nations League meant they got a chance to play in the Euro 2020 play-offs.

In the play-off semi-final, North Macedonia beat Kosovo 2–1 at home. Then, in the final on 13 November in Tbilisi, they won 1–0 against Georgia. This victory meant North Macedonia qualified for their first major tournament ever!

2020–21 UEFA Nations League C

After being promoted, North Macedonia played in League C of the UEFA Nations League. They were in Group 2 with Armenia, Estonia, and Georgia.

UEFA Euro 2020

Soccer Field Transparant.svg

Dimitrievski
Velkovski
Ristovski
Musliu
Nikolov
Ademi
Trajkovski
The starting lineup against Austria in group C at the UEFA Euro 2020.

North Macedonia made their debut at the Euros in 2021 (the tournament was postponed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). They lost all three of their Group C matches against Austria, Ukraine, and the Netherlands. However, Goran Pandev scored against Austria, and Ezgjan Alioski scored against Ukraine, marking their first goals in a major tournament. North Macedonia was one of two teams making their Euros debut that year.

2022 World Cup Qualifiers

For the 2022 World Cup qualifying, North Macedonia was in Group J. A huge moment came on matchday 3 when they defeated Germany 2–1 in Duisburg. This was Germany's first World Cup qualification loss since 2001! North Macedonia finished second in their group after winning their last two games against Armenia (5–0) and Iceland (3–1).

They then went to the play-offs, where they famously beat the reigning European champions Italy in Palermo on 24 March 2022. This was a massive upset! They then faced Portugal in the play-off final on 29 March but lost 2–0, missing out on the World Cup.

2022–23 UEFA Nations League C and Euro 2024 Qualification

North Macedonia played in the UEFA Nations League against Georgia, Gibraltar, and Bulgaria, finishing third in their group. In the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying, North Macedonia did not qualify for the tournament. They finished fourth in their group, behind England, Italy, and Ukraine, but above Malta.

Team Image

Stadiums

  • Philip II Arena 2017-1
  • Стадион Младост Струмица
  • StadiumTetovo
  • PrilepStadionGoceDelchev
Number of
matches		 Stadium First international Last international
127 Toše Proeski Arena, Skopje 23 March 1994 6 June 2025
5 Stadion Goce Delčev, Prilep 27 March 1996 15 November 2011
5 Stadion Mladost, Strumica 12 April 1995 17 October 2023
1 Gradski stadion, Tetovo 14 May 1994 14 May 1994
1 Gradski stadion, Kumanovo 29 September 1998 29 September 1998

Kit Sponsorship
UEFA Euro 2020 Debut Kit
Kit supplier Period
Germany Adidas 1992–1993
Italy Gems 1994–1998
Germany Puma 1998–2014
Germany Jako 2015–present

Results and Upcoming Matches

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

7 September 2024–25 Nations League Faroe Islands  1–1  Macedonia Toftir, Faroe Islands
14:00 UTC+1
  • Davidsen Goal 9' (pen.)
Stadium: Svangaskarð
Attendance: 2,057
Referee: Manfredas Lukjančukas (Lithuania)
10 September 2024–25 Nations League Macedonia  2–0  Armenia Skopje, North Macedonia
20:45 UTC+2
Stadium: Toše Proeski Arena
Attendance: 6,829
Referee: Harm Osmers (Germany)
10 October 2024–25 Nations League Latvia  0–3  Macedonia Riga, Latvia
19:00 UTC+3
  • Atanasov Goal 35'
  • Qamili Goal 70'
  • Elmas Goal 90+3'
 Stadium: Skonto Stadium
Attendance: 5,001
Referee: Jakob Sundberg (Denmark)
13 October 2024–25 Nations League Armenia  0–2  Macedonia Yerevan, Armenia
20:00 UTC+4
  • Miovski Goal 72'
  • Alimi Goal 85'
 Stadium: Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium
Attendance: 14,371
Referee: Stuart Attwell (England)
14 November 2024–25 Nations League Macedonia  1–0  Latvia Skopje, North Macedonia
20:45 UTC+1
  • Serafimov Goal 57'
 Stadium: Toše Proeski Arena
Attendance: 8,851
Referee: Goga Kikacheishvili (Georgia)
17 November 2024–25 Nations League Macedonia  1–0  Faroe Islands Skopje, North Macedonia
15:00 UTC+1
  • Miovski Goal 62'
 Stadium: Toše Proeski Arena
Attendance: 7,450
Referee: Daniel Schlager (Germany)

2025 Matches

22 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Liechtenstein  0–3  Macedonia Vaduz, Liechtenstein
15:00 UTC+1
  • Trajkovski Goal 7'
  • Musliu Goal 42'
  • Miovski Goal 84'
 Stadium: Rheinpark Stadion
Attendance: 4,094
Referee: Mykola Balakin (Ukraine)
25 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Macedonia  1–1  Wales Skopje, North Macedonia
20:45 UTC+1
  • Miovski Goal 90+1'
  • Brooks Goal 90+6'
 Stadium: Toše Proeski Arena
Attendance: 23,114
Referee: Jérôme Brisard (France)
6 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Macedonia  1–1  Belgium Skopje, North Macedonia
20:45 UTC+2
  • De Cuyper Goal 28'
 Stadium: Toše Proeski Arena
Attendance: 23,070
Referee: Chris Kavanagh (England)
9 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Kazakhstan  0–1  Macedonia Astana, Kazakhstan
19:00 UTC+5
  • Trajkovski Goal 33'
 Stadium: Astana Arena
Attendance: 27,694
Referee: Filip Glova (Slovakia)
4 September Friendly Macedonia  v TBC
7 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Macedonia  v  Liechtenstein Skopje, North Macedonia
18:00 UTC+2 Stadium: Toše Proeski Arena
10 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Belgium  v  Macedonia Brussels, Belgium
20:45 UTC+2 Stadium: King Baudouin Stadium
13 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Macedonia  v  Kazakhstan Skopje, North Macedonia
20:45 UTC+2 Stadium: Toše Proeski Arena
18 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Wales  v  Macedonia Cardiff, Wales
19:45 UTC±0 Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium

Coaching Staff

Position Name
Head coach North Macedonia Blagoja Milevski
Assistant coaches North Macedonia Vlatko Grozdanoski
North Macedonia Robert Stojanovski
Goalkeeper coach North Macedonia Gogo Jovčev
Physical coach North Macedonia Vladimir Vuksanovikj
Video Analysis Serbia Goran Stanić
Team Doctor North Macedonia Nebojsha Nastov
Physiotherapists North Macedonia Makedonka Siljanoska
Masseur North Macedonia Mohammed Trapanovski
Kit Manager North Macedonia Behar Dimoski
Team Manager North Macedonia Zoran Zafirov
Sporting Director North Macedonia Goran Pandev
Technical Director North Macedonia Zoran Stratev

Coaching History

Updated on 7 June 2025

Name First game Last game P W D L GF GA GD Win % Achievements
North Macedonia North Macedonia Doncevski, AndonAndon Dončevski 13 October 1993 15 November 1995 &&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023 &&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023 +0 &&&&&&&&&&&&&029.41000029.41
North Macedonia Hadzievski, GjokoGjoko Hadžievski 27 March 1996 9 June 1999 &&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028 &&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&042.&&&&&042 &&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&&&&&037 +5 &&&&&&&&&&&&&035.71000035.71
North Macedonia Kanatlarovski, DragiDragi Kanatlarovski 5 September 1999 13 February 2005 &&&&&&&&&&&&&031.&&&&&031 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015 &&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032 &&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&&&&&037 −5 &&&&&&&&&&&&&025.81000025.81
North Macedonia Jovanovski, GjoreGjore Jovanovski 2 June 2001 10 January 2002 &&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&027.&&&&&027 −18 &0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.00
North Macedonia Ilievski, NikolaNikola Ilievski 27 March 2002 11 June 2003 &&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023 &&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024 −1 &&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&8000023.08
Serbia and Montenegro Santrac, SlobodanSlobodan Santrač 30 March 2005 17 August 2005 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012 −8 &&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025.00
North Macedonia Babunski, BobanBoban Babunski (caretaker) 7 September 2005 10 August 2011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 −2 &&&&&&&&&&&&&050.&&&&&050.00
Slovenia Katanec, SreckoSrečko Katanec 1 March 2006 1 April 2009 &&&&&&&&&&&&&027.&&&&&027 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028 &&&&&&&&&&&&&029.&&&&&029 −1 &&&&&&&&&&&&&033.33000033.33
North Macedonia Jonuz, MirsadMirsad Jonuz 6 June 2009 4 June 2011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021 &&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019 +2 &&&&&&&&&&&&&035.&&&&&035.00
North Macedonia Kostov, VlatkoVlatko Kostov (caretaker) 7 September 2010 7 September 2010 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 +0 &0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.00
Wales Toshack, JohnJohn Toshack 2 September 2011 29 May 2012 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 −4 &&&&&&&&&&&&&012.50000012.50
North Macedonia Sedloski, GoceGoce Sedloski (caretaker) 15 August 2012 15 August 2012 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 +1 &&&&&&&&&&&&0100.&&&&&0100.000
North Macedonia Janevski, CedomirČedomir Janevski 7 September 2012 10 September 2013 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015 &&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019 −4 &&&&&&&&&&&&&035.71000035.71
North Macedonia Stratev, ZoranZoran Stratev (caretaker) 11 October 2013 15 October 2013 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 −5 &0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.00
North Macedonia Gjurovski, BoskoBoško Gjurovski 5 March 2014 30 March 2015 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012 −5 &&&&&&&&&&&&&018.18000018.18
Serbia Drulovic, LjubinkoLjubinko Drulović 14 June 2015 12 October 2015 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 −5 &0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.00
North Macedonia Angelovski, IgorIgor Angelovski 12 November 2015 21 June 2021 &&&&&&&&&&&&&052.&&&&&052 &&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&083.&&&&&083 &&&&&&&&&&&&&062.&&&&&062 +21 &&&&&&&&&&&&&044.23000044.23 UEFA Euro 2020 group stage
North Macedonia Milevski, BlagojaBlagoja Milevski 2 September 2021 &&&&&&&&&&&&&033.&&&&&033 &&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&046.&&&&&046 &&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&&&&&037 +9 &&&&&&&&&&&&&039.39000039.39
Total &&&&&&&&&&&&0281.&&&&&0281 &&&&&&&&&&&&&090.&&&&&090 &&&&&&&&&&&&&072.&&&&&072 &&&&&&&&&&&&0119.&&&&&0119 &&&&&&&&&&&&0341.&&&&&0341 &&&&&&&&&&&&0364.&&&&&0364 −23 &&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&3000032.03 —

Players

Current Squad

The following 27 players were chosen for North Macedonia's 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Belgium and Kazakhstan in June 2025.
Caps and goals are correct as of 9 June 2025, after the match against Kazakhstan.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Dejan Iliev (1995-02-25) 25 February 1995 (age 30) 1 0 Romania UTA
12 1GK Igor Aleksovski (1995-02-24) 24 February 1995 (age 30) 1 0 Albania Flamurtari
23 1GK Stole Dimitrievski (1993-12-25) 25 December 1993 (age 31) 80 0 Spain Valencia
1GK Damjan Shishkovski (1995-03-18) 18 March 1995 (age 30) 11 0 Bosnia and Herzegovina Borac
2 2DF Stefan Despotovski (2003-01-23) 23 January 2003 (age 22) 1 0 Serbia Beograd
3 2DF Stefan Ashkovski (1992-02-24) 24 February 1992 (age 33) 37 0 Cyprus Ethnikos
4 2DF Andrej Stojchevski (2003-05-26) 26 May 2003 (age 22) 1 0 Czech Republic Slovácko
5 2DF Gjoko Zajkov (1995-02-10) 10 February 1995 (age 30) 38 1 United Arab Emirates Ajman
6 2DF Visar Musliu (1994-11-13) 13 November 1994 (age 30) 68 2 Belgium Sint-Truiden
8 2DF Ezgjan Alioski (1992-02-12) 12 February 1992 (age 33) 85 13 Switzerland Lugano
15 2DF Jovan Manev (2001-01-25) 25 January 2001 (age 24) 11 1 Croatia Rijeka
2DF Bojan Ilievski (1999-09-01) 1 September 1999 (age 25) 5 0 North Macedonia Struga
7 3MF Eljif Elmas (1999-09-24) 24 September 1999 (age 25) 69 13 Italy Torino
10 3MF Enis Bardhi (captain) (1995-07-02) 2 July 1995 (age 30) 74 18 Turkey Konyaspor
17 3MF Agon Elezi (2001-03-01) 1 March 2001 (age 24) 12 0 Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo
18 3MF Tihomir Kostadinov (1996-03-04) 4 March 1996 (age 29) 30 0 Czech Republic Sigma
21 3MF Jani Atanasov (1999-10-31) 31 October 1999 (age 25) 26 3 Poland Cracovia
22 3MF Luka Stankovski (2002-09-02) 2 September 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Serbia Radnički 1923
9 4FW Aleksandar Trajkovski (1992-09-05) 5 September 1992 (age 32) 94 23 Croatia Hajduk
11 4FW Darko Churlinov (2000-07-11) 11 July 2000 (age 25) 33 4 England Burnley
13 4FW David Toshevski (2001-07-16) 16 July 2001 (age 24) 1 0 Austria Austria Klagenfurt
14 4FW Dimitar Mitrovski (1999-01-28) 28 January 1999 (age 26) 8 0 Slovenia Olimpija
16 4FW Kristijan Trapanovski (1999-08-14) 14 August 1999 (age 25) 2 0 Scotland Dundee United
19 4FW Milan Ristovski (1998-04-08) 8 April 1998 (age 27) 32 4 Czech Republic Bohemians
20 4FW Bojan Miovski (1999-06-24) 24 June 1999 (age 26) 33 8 Spain Girona

Recent Call-ups

The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months and are still available for selection.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Marko Alchevski (2002-04-16) 16 April 2002 (age 23) 0 0 Serbia Beograd v.  Faroe Islands, 17 November 2024
DF Bojan Dimoski INJ (2001-11-23) 23 November 2001 (age 23) 20 0 Serbia Partizan v.  Belgium, 6 June 2025 WD
DF Nikola Serafimov INJ (1999-08-11) 11 August 1999 (age 25) 22 1 Hungary Fehérvár v.  Wales, 26 March 2025
DF Darko Velkovski INJ (1995-06-21) 21 June 1995 (age 30) 55 3 Hungary Nyíregyháza Spartacus v.  Faroe Islands, 17 November 2024
DF Ahmed Iljazovski (1997-07-31) 31 July 1997 (age 27) 5 0 Denmark Hvidovre v.  Armenia, 13 October 2024
MF Isnik Alimi INJ (1994-02-02) 2 February 1994 (age 31) 15 2 China Dalian Yingbo v.  Belgium, 6 June 2025 WD
MF David Babunski (1994-03-01) 1 March 1994 (age 31) 18 0 Scotland Dundee United v.  Wales, 26 March 2025
MF Sefer Emini (2000-07-15) 15 July 2000 (age 25) 0 0 Denmark Sønderjyske v.  Faroe Islands, 17 November 2024
MF Behar Feta (2003-04-07) 7 April 2003 (age 22) 0 0 Slovenia Aluminij v.  Faroe Islands, 17 November 2024
FW Lirim Qamili INJ (1998-06-04) 4 June 1998 (age 27) 9 1 Denmark Sønderjyske v.  Liechtenstein, 22 March 2025 WD
FW Mario Ilievski (2002-04-24) 24 April 2002 (age 23) 1 0 Kosovo Prishtina v.  Armenia, 13 October 2024
Notes
  • INJ = Player is injured
  • PRE = Preliminary squad / standby
  • RET = Retired from the national team
  • SUS = Serving suspension
  • U21 = Player called up to the U21 squad.
  • WD = Player withdrew from the squad.

Team Statistics

Players in bold are still active with Macedonia.

Most Appearances

Goran Pandev
Goran Pandev is North Macedonia's top goalscorer and their most capped player.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Goran Pandev 122 38 2001–2021
2 Goce Sedloski 100 8 1996–2010
3 Aleksandar Trajkovski 94 23 2011–present
4 Ezgjan Alioski 85 13 2013–present
5 Veliče Šumulikoski 84 1 2002–2013
6 Stefan Ristovski 82 2 2011–2023
7 Stole Dimitrievski 80 0 2015–present
8 Enis Bardhi 74 18 2015–present
9 Artim Šakiri 73 15 1996–2006
10 Igor Mitreski 70 1 2001–2011

Top Goalscorers

Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Goran Pandev 38 122 0.31 2001–2021
2 Aleksandar Trajkovski 23 94 0.24 2011–present
3 Enis Bardhi 18 74 0.24 2015–present
4 Georgi Hristov 16 48 0.33 1995–2005
5 Artim Šakiri 15 73 0.21 1996–2006
6 Elif Elmas 13 69 0.19 2017–present
Ezgjan Alioski 85 0.15 2013–present
8 Goran Maznov 10 45 0.22 2001–2009
Ilija Nestorovski 52 0.19 2016–2023
10 Ilčo Naumoski 9 46 0.2 2003–2012

Team Captains

This is a list of players who have been captain for North Macedonia in five or more official and friendly matches.

Player Period Games as captain (Total caps) Major tournaments as captain (Games)
Darko Pančev 1993–1995 6 (6)
Toni Micevski 1996–2001 12 (44)
Artim Šakiri 2002–2005 10 (72)
Goce Sedloski 2004–2009 43 (100)
Veliče Šumulikoski 2009–2012 11 (84)
Goran Pandev 2010–2013 22 (75)
Tome Pachovski 2014–2015 10 (46)
Goran Pandev 2016–2021 69 (122) UEFA Euro 2020 (3)
Stefan Ristovski 2019–2023 16 (82)
Enis Bardhi 2021– 24 (74)

Note: Some other players have also captained the team for fewer games.

Competitive Record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA Position
Uruguay 1930 to Italy 1990 Part of  Yugoslavia team Part of  Yugoslavia team
United States 1994 Did not enter Did not enter
France 1998 Did not qualify 10 4 1 5 22 18 4/6
South Korea Japan 2002 10 1 4 5 11 18 4/6
Germany 2006 12 2 3 7 11 24 5/7
South Africa 2010 8 2 1 5 5 11 4/5
Brazil 2014 10 2 1 7 7 16 6/6
Russia 2018 10 3 2 5 15 15 5/6
Qatar 2022 12 6 3 3 24 13 2/6 (play-offs)
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined 4 2 2 0 6 2 TBD
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/7 – – – – – – 76 22 17 37 101 117 —

UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship record UEFA European Championship qualifying record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA Position
France 1960 to Sweden 1992 Part of  Yugoslavia team Part of  Yugoslavia team
England 1996 Did not qualify 10 1 4 5 9 18 4/6
Belgium Netherlands 2000 8 2 2 4 13 14 4/5
Portugal 2004 8 1 3 4 11 14 4/5
Austria Switzerland 2008 12 4 2 6 12 12 5/7
Poland Ukraine 2012 10 2 2 6 8 14 5/6
France 2016 10 1 1 8 6 18 6/6
Europe 2020 Group stage 23rd 3 0 0 3 2 8 12 6 2 4 15 14 3/6 (PO winners)
Germany 2024 Did not qualify 8 2 2 4 10 20 4/5
United Kingdom Republic of Ireland 2028 To be determined To be determined
Italy Turkey 2032
Total Group stage 1/8 3 0 0 3 2 8 78 19 18 41 84 123 —

Olympic Record

  • 1896-1928 and 1936-1988: Part of Yugoslavia Team
  • 1992: Did not participate
  • Since 1996, the Under-21 team plays at the Olympics.
  • 1996: Did not enter
  • 2000–2024: Did not qualify

UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League record
Season Division Group Pld W D L GF GA GD P/R RK
2018–19 D 4 6 5 0 1 14 5 +9 Rise 41st
2020–21 C 2 6 2 3 1 9 8 +1 Same position 40th
2022–23 C 4 6 2 1 3 7 7 0 Same position 42nd
2024–25 C 4 6 5 1 0 10 1 +9 Rise 35th
Total 24 14 5 5 40 21 +19 35th

Minor Tournaments

  • Yugoslav Football Tournament
    • 5th place: 1945
Socialist Republic of Macedonia Team Macedonia
Rustenov, Bogojevski, Vidovik, Martinovski, Petrovski, Davidovski, Janevski, Adamovski, Atanaskov, Balevski, Gerov. Manager: Illes Spitz
  • Yugoslav tournament 1975 Brotherhood and Unity
    • 2nd place
Socialist Republic of Macedonia Team Macedonia
Sharenac, Grncharov, Srebrov, Andreevski, Krstanov, Filipovski, Dimitrovski, Rajchevski, Nikolikj, Spasovski, Draganikj, Paunovski. Manager: Chaslav Bozhinovski

FIFA Ranking History

This table shows North Macedonia's average FIFA ranking each year. The team reached its highest rank of 46th in October 2008 and its lowest of 166th in March 2017. As of 25 March 2022, they were 66th.

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
x 90 94 86 92 59 68 76 89 85 92
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
92 87 54 58 56 65 76 103 81 83 100
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
136 162 76 68 68 65 67 65 65

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Macedonia del Norte para niños

  • List of Macedonia international footballers
  • Macedonia national football team results
  • Macedonia national under-21 football team
  • Macedonia national under-19 football team
  • Macedonia national under-17 football team
  • Macedonia women's national football team
kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
North Macedonia national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.