Never in the history of the Macedonian first league since its secession from Yugoslavia has there been less than 3 clubs from the capital, and next season that is exactly what could happen.

photo by Filip Zdraveski

The Macedonian capital Skopje has always been considered a city with an abundance of football clubs. History shows this, because if we look at the tables from the seasons in independent Macedonia, starting from the first 1992/1993 to the last 2025/2026, we will see that there were always at least 3 Skopje based clubs, and often more.

Believe it or not, in the 1998/1999 season there were as many as 7 teams from the capital. At that time, first-league football was played in Debar Maalo, Chair, Kisela Voda, Gjorche Petrov and Avtokomanda neighborhoods. Skopje football fans could choose which stadium to go to every weekend.

Last season there were 4 Skopje teams in the top flight, but as many as 3 were directly relegated (Shkupi, Rabotnichki and Makedonija GjP), and only Vardar remained. If this continues, next season for the first time Skopje will have only one first-league team.

But the game is not over. The play-offs are coming up on Sunday, where Skopje from Avtokomanda and Shkendija 77 from Arachinovo will have a chance to improve the number of Skopje teams in the Macedonian elite. Yes, Shkendija 77 is not from the city but from the surrounding area, but in its Arachinovo there is no stadium and it plays its home matches in Chento or Madjari. If it enters the elite, and due to the use of the VAR system, who knows where it will play because even those stadiums do not have VAR standards, unless they install it this summer. But for that, first the Arachinovo team needs to eliminate Pelister from Bitola on Sunday. Meanwhile, Skopje will be chasing a place in the first league against Brera Strumica.

A total of 10 different Skopje based clubs have played in the first league. Vardar has played the most seasons, then Rabotnichki, and Euromilk the least, only one.

Seasons played in the first league:

32 – Vardar (Skopje)
28 – Rabotnichki (Debar Maalo)
25 – Shkupi (Cair)
23 – Makedonija GjP (Gjorche Petrov)
15 – Cementarnica 55 (Kisela Voda)
9 – Metalurg (Zhelezara)
7 – Balkan (Chair)
6 – Skopje (Avtokomanda)
2 – Madjari Solidarnost (Madjari)
1 – Euromilk (Gorno Lisiche)

All Skopje based clubs in the first league throughout history:

1992/1993 (6)
Vardar, Balkan Stokokomerc, Sloga Jugomagnat, FCU 55, Makedonija, Metalurg

1993/1994 (5)
Vardar, Balkan Stokokomerc, Sloga Jugomagnat, FCU 55, Makedonija

1994/1995 (4)
Vardar, Sloga Jugomagnat, Balkan BiSi, FCU 55

1995/1996 (5)
Sloga Jugomagnat, Vardar, Makedonija, Balkan, FCU 55

1996/1997 (5)
Sloga Jugomagnat, Vardar, Makedonija, Balkan, Cementarnica 55

1997/1998 (6)
Sloga Jugomagnat, Makedonija Asiba, Vardar, Balkan, Cementarnica 55, Skopje

1998/1999 (7)
Sloga Jugomagnat, Vardar, Cementarnica 55, Makedonija Asiba, Rabotnichki Kometal, Skopje, Balkan

1999/2000 (5)
Sloga Jugomagnat, Rabotnichki Kometal, Cementarnica 55, Makedonija Asiba, Vardar

2000/2001 (5)
Sloga Jugomagnat, Vardar, Rabotnichki Kometal, Cementarnica 55, Makedonija GjP

2001/2002 (5)
Vardar, Cementarnica 55, Sloga Jugomagnat, Rabotnichki Kometal, Makedonija GjP

2002/2003 (4)
Vardar, Rabotnichki Kometal, Sloga Jugomagnat, Cementarnica 55

2003/2004 (5)
Vardar, Rabotnichki Kometal, Sloga Jugomagnat, Madjari Solidarnost, Cementarnica 55

2004/2005 (5)
Rabotnichki Kometal, Vardar, Cementarnica 55, Madjari Solidarnost, Sloga Jugomagnat

2005/2006 (4)
Rabotnichki Kometal, Makedonija GjP, Vardar, Cementarnica 55

2006/2007 (3)
Rabotnichki Kometal, Makedonija GjP, Vardar

2007/2008 (4)
Rabotnichki Kometal, Vardar, Makedonija GjP, Cementarnica 55

2008/2009 (4)
Makedonija GjP, Rabotnichki, Vardar, Metalurg

2009/2010 (5)
Rabotnichki, Metalurg, Vardar, Makedonija GjP, Sloga Jugomagnat

2010/2011 (4)
Metalurg, Rabotnichki, Skopje, Vardar

2011/2012 (3)
Vardar 1947, Metalurg, Rabotnichki

2012/2013 (3)
Vardar, Metalurg, Rabotnichki

2013/2014 (5)
Rabotnichki, Vardar, Metalurg, Euromilk, Makedonija GjP

2014/2015 (3)
Vardar, Rabotnichki, Metalurg

2015/2016 (4)
Vardar, Rabotnichki, Shkupi, Metalurg

2016/2017 (4)
Vardar, Rabotnichki, Shkupi, Makedonija GjP

2017/2018 (4)
Vardar, Rabotnichki, Shkupi, Skopje

2018/2019 (4)
Vardar, Shkupi, Makedonija GjP, Rabotnichki

2019/2020 (4)
Vardar, Shkupi, Makedonija GjP, Rabotnichki

2020/2021 (4)
Shkupi, Makedonija GjP, Rabotnichki, Vardar

2021/2022 (4)
Shkupi, Makedonija GjP, Rabotnichki, Skopje

2022/2023 (4)
Shkupi, Makedonija GjP, Rabotnichki, Skopje

2023/2024 (4)
Shkupi, Rabotnichki, Vardar, Makedonija GjP

2024/2025 (3)
Rabotnichki, Vardar, Shkupi

2025/2026 (4)
Vardar, Makedonija GjP, Rabotnichki, Shkupi

2026/2027 (1)
Vardar, ???