Belgium vs North Macedonia prediction, H2H and probable lineups – October 10, 2025
As part of the European qualifiers for the World Cup, Belgium will square off against North Macedonia. The match is set to take place in Ghent on Friday, October 10. Kick-off is scheduled for 20:45 Central European Time. Here’s my take on who will come out on top in this clash.
Match preview
The Belgian national team is enduring a drawn-out generational shift. The squad failed to impress at the last European Championship and stumbled in the Nations League.
A win over Ukraine helped them narrowly avoid relegation from League A. After a 1-3 loss in the first match, their chances looked slim. In World Cup qualifying, Belgium landed in a relatively easy group without any real contenders for the top spot.
Even so, Rudy Garcia’s men managed to spring a surprise in the opening game, playing out a draw away against North Macedonia. They followed that up with a hard-fought win over Wales, and found no trouble dispatching Liechtenstein and Kazakhstan—both matches ending in emphatic 6-0 victories.
The October fixtures will be pivotal for Belgium. There’s little doubt about their ultimate success in this group, and victories over direct rivals like North Macedonia and Wales will all but guarantee their top spot in the quintet.
North Macedonia is enjoying one of the best spells in its footballing history. Last year, the team surged into Nations League Division B, breezing past Armenia, the Faroe Islands, and Latvia.
That was just the beginning. North Macedonia kicked off their World Cup qualifying campaign in March, picking up four points from their first two matches. After a home draw against Wales, Blagoja Milevski’s men stunned everyone by snatching a draw against Belgium in the summer.
The hard-fought away win over Kazakhstan didn’t come easy, but they had no trouble at home against Liechtenstein. The Balkan side currently tops the group, but their chances of ultimate success seem slim. If they can’t beat Belgium in the next match, their hopes will all but disappear.
The Macedonians will try to put up a fight against the star-studded Belgian squad, but, to be honest, they are clearly outmatched in terms of talent. Still, it’s worth noting that North Macedonia hasn’t lost an official match in nearly two years, so this one should be intriguing.
Match facts
- Belgium have won their last three home matches.
- The Belgians have scored 16 goals in their previous three games.
- North Macedonia are unbeaten in 12 consecutive official matches.
- Belgium average 2.7 goals per home game, while North Macedonia average 1.4 goals per away game.
Probable lineups
- Belgium: Courtois, Theate, Debast, De Kuyper, Castagne, Raskin, Vanaken, De Bruyne, Trossard, Doku, Openda.
- North Macedonia: Dimitrievski, Ilievski, Stojcevski, Zaikov, Alioski, Alimi, Bardhi, Churlinov, Elmas, Trajkovski, Miovski.
H2H
North Macedonia has never beaten Belgium: two draws and three defeats.
Prediction
Rudy Garcia’s side are far superior to any opponent in their group and are favorites in every match. The Belgians will be eager to make amends for dropping points in September’s meeting and knock a direct rival out of contention. My pick: a home win with a -1.5 goal handicap.
