North Macedonia and Latvia take a break from 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying on Thursday when they face off in a friendly at the Tose Proeski Arena. Blagoja Milevski’s men head into the midweek tie after a five-game winning streak against the visitors and will look to extend that dominant streak.
North Macedonia failed to top Group J in World Cup qualifying last time out as they could only salvage a 1-1 draw against Kazakhstan in Skopje.
With the result, Milevski’s side are one of 12 teams yet to suffer a defeat in the qualifiers, winning three and drawing four from seven matches to occupy second place in Group J with 13 points, one point behind first-placed Belgium.
While North Macedonia are unbeaten in their last 14 competitive matches (8 wins, 6 draws), they enter Thursday’s match on a run of four consecutive friendly defeats, dating back to a 1-1 draw against Moldova in March 2024.
In contrast, the World Cup qualifying campaign has been truly unforgettable for Latvia, who sit fourth in Group K with five points from seven games, six points off the playoff places.
Paolo Nicolato’s men suffered a 5-0 defeat to England in their last outing on October 14, a result which saw their winless run extend to seven matches in all competitions (4L 2D).
Latvia’s last victory came in March, when they beat Andorra 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier thanks to a 58th-minute goal from Dario Sits.
North Macedonia vs Latvia – Head-to-head and key figures
- North Macedonia boasts a 100% record in the history of this encounter, winning five times in the previous five meetings between the two nations.
- The two teams first met in March 2014, when North Macedonia secured a 2-1 victory in a friendly, while their last meeting took place in November 2024, which ended 1-0 in favor of Milevski’s men.
- North Macedonia have lost each of their last five friendlies, conceding eight goals and scoring twice since a 1-1 draw against Moldova in March 2024.
- Latvia have failed to win their last five friendlies, losing twice and drawing three since a 1-0 win over Azerbaijan in March 2022.
North Macedonia vs Latvia Prediction
North Macedonia and Latvia head into Thursday’s match in mixed form, with Nicolato’s men having failed to win their last seven matches in all competitions.
Milevski’s team has an exceptional record in this encounter and we hope that they will win once again at the Tose Proeski Arena.
Prediction: North Macedonia 2-0 Latvia
North Macedonia vs Latvia Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result – North Macedonia wins
Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals – No (there have been fewer than three goals scored in five of North Macedonia’s last seven games)
Tip 3: More than 4.5 cards – No (there have been fewer than five yellow cards in eight of Latvia’s last nine outings)
Edited by Peter P.
