North Macedonia are aiming to reach their maiden FIFA World Cup through this month’s qualification play-offs.
Goce Sedloski’s team secured a place in the play-offs after finishing third in Group J behind Belgium and Wales, setting up a semi-final clash against Denmark.
The winner of that contest will then face either the Czech Republic or the Republic of Ireland for a spot in this summer’s tournament.
If North Macedonia manage to win both play-off matches, it will mark their first-ever appearance at the World Cup and their second major international tournament after participating in UEFA Euro 2020.
Such an achievement would be historic for a nation that played its first international match only in 1993.
Head coach Goce Sedloski has selected a 26-member squad for the encounter with Denmark, featuring players competing across Europe, Asia, and North America.
The squad includes several experienced campaigners, with five players having earned more than 70 international caps.
Goalkeepers: Stole Dimitrievski (Valencia), Damjan Shishkovski (Borac Banja Luka), Dejan Iliev (Rapid București)
Defenders: Ezgjan Alioski (Lugano), Visar Musliu (Sint-Truiden), Darko Velkovski (Vardar), Gjoko Zajkov (Ajman), Egzon Bejtullai (Drita), Nikola Serafimov (Levski Sofia), Andrej Stojchevski (Slovácko), Imran Fetai (Shkëndija), Sebastián Herrera (Borac Banja Luka)
Midfielders: Enis Bardhi (Konyaspor), Eljif Elmas (Napoli), Boban Nikolov (Vardar), Tihomir Kostadinov (Slovácko), Jani Atanasov (AEL), Isnik Alimi (Dalian Yingbo), Luka Stankovski (Kolos Kovalivka), Reshat Ramadani (Shkëndija)
Forwards: Aleksandar Trajkovski (Lokomotiva Zagreb), Bojan Miovski (Rangers), Darko Churlinov (Kocaelispor), Milan Ristovski (Bohemians), Lirim Qamili (Sønderjyske), Ljupcho Doriev (Sogdiana), Elmin Rastoder (Thun), Danny Musovski (Seattle Sounders)
Fixtures:
March 26, 2026: Denmark v North Macedonia, Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
November 18, 2025: Wales 7-1 North Macedonia, Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
November 13, 2025: North Macedonia 0-0 Latvia, Tose Proeski Arena, Skopje, North Macedonia
October 13, 2025: North Macedonia 1-1 Kazakhstan, Tose Proeski Arena, Skopje, North Macedonia
October 10, 2025: Belgium 0-0 North Macedonia, Planet Group Arena, Ghent, Belgium
September 7, 2025: North Macedonia 5-0 Liechtenstein, Tose Proeski Arena, Skopje, North Macedonia
September 4, 2025: Saudi Arabia 2-1 North Macedonia, FK Viktoria Stadion, Prague, Czech Republic
Goce Sedloski took charge as North Macedonia’s head coach following the end of Blagoja Milevski’s tenure after the World Cup qualifying group stage.
The 51-year-old faces a challenging start as he aims to guide the team to the World Cup in his first set of matches as head coach, but he brings significant experience from his long association with the national setup.
As a player, Sedloski was a central defender and the first footballer in North Macedonia’s history to reach 100 international caps. His career also included a brief spell with Sheffield Wednesday. In coaching, he previously served as assistant and caretaker manager for the national team in 2012. He currently combines his national team duties with his role at Macedonian club Vardar, where he has been head coach since 2024.
Midfielder Eljif Elmas has become the team’s key player following the retirement of national icon Goran Pandev. The 26-year-old, currently on loan at Serie A side Napoli, has already earned 75 international caps and scored 13 goals for his country. Though he was eligible to represent Turkey, former coach Fatih Terim’s call-up attempt was declined as Elmas chose to play for North Macedonia, his birthplace.
Elmas rejoined Napoli on loan in the summer after previously spending five years with the club between 2019 and 2024, helping them clinch their first Serie A title since the Diego Maradona era.
