Belgium welcome North Macedonia to Ghelamco Arena on Friday evening for a key World Cup qualifier.
The match, scheduled for a 19:45 kick off, will be the sixth meeting between the two nations and will determine who takes charge of Group J. Can Belgium continue their good form or will North Macedonia claim a surprise win and move four points clear in their group?
Best bets and predictions
Belgium have a wealth of talent at their disposal but they currently sit second in Group J, having dropped points against North Macedonia in the return leg of this fixture. We’re confident that the Red Devils will come out on top, with home advantage being key for them.
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| To Win Both Halves – Belgium | 13/10 @ Bet365 (43.5%) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Belgium come into this game in great form, winning their last three matches and scoring 16 goals in that time. They’ve beaten Wales by a 4-3 scoreline before dismantling both Liechtenstein and Kazakhstan 6-0. North Macedonia have beaten both of those last two nations in their last three games but experienced a loss to Saudi Arabia to punctuate them. We’re backing Belgium to come out on top in both halves, at a really interesting price, due to their superior talent pool and home advantage. |
| Over 3 Goals and Belgium to Score in Both Halves and Jeremy Doku to Score | 9/2 @ Bet365 (18.2%) | ⭐⭐ | As mentioned above, Belgium have been in great goalscoring form, netting 16 times in their past three games. North Macedonia have also been electric in front of goal, scoring seven in their last five. Belgium have managed to score in both halves in all three of their last three games, whilst Jeremy Doku scored two in his last outing for Belgium, making his total five goals in 35 caps for his country. |
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How both teams head into Belgium vs North Macedonia
Belgium are in red hot form coming into this tie, winning four of their last five games with the only blot on their copybook coming in the return leg of this tie, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Victories over Ukraine, Wales, Liechtenstein and Kazakhstan ended a terrible run for the Red Devils, that saw them lose four in a row. Belgium come into this contest second in Group J, one point behind their rivals this week and a win would take them to the top of the Group and give them control of their own destiny.
North Macedonia top Group J entering this encounter, with two wins over Liechtenstein plus a victory over Kazakhstan bolstering their position alongside draws with Wales and Belgium. They’ve yet to taste defeat in their pursuit of World Cup football and have conceded just twice in the five games they have played. Another positive result here would leave them on the brink of qualifying for their first ever World Cup and motivation will be at an all-time high for the Lions.
World Cup qualifying standings
| Team (Group J) | Pos | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 4 | +13 | 10 |
| Team (Group J) | Pos | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Macedonia | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 11 |
Belgium team news
There are no real surprises in Rudi Garcia’s squad, with Thibaut Courtois, Axel Witsel and Kevin De Bruyne all being called up having collected over 100 caps each. There are debut call ups for Senne Lammens, Maarten Vandevoordt and Joaquin Seys, whilst Michy Batshuayi will be hoping to improve on his record of 27 goals in 55 appearances.
North Macedonia team news
There are seven players in Blagoja Milevski’s squad who have won 50 or more caps for North Macedonia, demonstrating there is plenty of experience at their disposal. Bojan Miovski, of Rangers, has been called up to lead the line for his nation, whilst Eljif Elmas is the highest profile player in the squad, currently plying his trade at Napoli.
Head to head: Last 5 meetings
North Macedonia have never managed to pick up a victory against Belgium, securing two draws but losing three of their five meetings. Belgium have scored 10 goals in those five contests, with North Macedonia finding the net just twice.
| Date | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 06/06/2025 | North Macedonia 1-1 Belgium | World Cup qualification |
| 26/03/2013 | Belgium 1-0 North Macedonia | World Cup qualification |
| 22/03/2013 | North Macedonia 0-2 Belgium | World Cup qualification |
| 06/06/1995 | North Macedonia 0-5 Belgium | European Championship qualifying |
| 15/11/1994 | Belgium 1-1 North Macedonia | European Championship qualifying |
Conclusion
Will Belgium’s attacking talent prove to be too much for North Macedonia defensive resilience or can the Lions pull off a shock and take control of Group J? All signs point towards a home win and we think the key bet here is to back Belgium to win both halves at 13/10 with Bet365.
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.