The Macedonian national team opened the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with a 3:0 away win against Liechtenstein. This was our sixth consecutive clean sheet victory, continuing the winning streak that started in the previous Nations League. The goal scorers were Trajkovski in the 7th minute, Musliu in the 42nd minute and Miovski in the 84th minute.
photo by FFM: A minute of silence before the start of the match
The victory was achieved with a routine performance in front of 4,000 spectators at the Rheinpark stadium in Vaduz, of which about 3,000 were Macedonian fans who came from several European countries. Before the start of the match, a minute of silence was observed in honor of the 59 victims who died in the great tragedy in Kochani last week.
Coach Milevski started the match with Dimitrievski between the posts, Zajkov, Serafimov and Musliu in the back line, Alioski and Churlinov as wing-backs, captain Bardhi, Alimi and Elmas in midfield and Trajkovski and Miovski as forwards.
The 7th minute was underway when Macedonia took the lead from the first shot on the home team’s goal. Alioski played a nice pass to Miovski on the left side who ran past goalkeeper Büchel and returned the ball to the middle of the penalty area where Trajkovski had no difficulty placing the ball in the unguarded net.
After the early lead, we controlled the game, which contributed to a relaxation among our players, and could have easily led to an equalizer in the 22nd minute, when after a quick counterattack, Pizzi had a great shot, but our goalkeeper Dimitrievski managed to tame it at the last moment.
In the next twenty minutes, the only notable moment was Miovski’s shot in the 38th minute, which Büchel easily saved.
In the 42nd minute, Macedonia took the 2:0 lead. After Bardhi’s corner kick from the right side, Alimi headed the ball to Musliu who increased our lead with an excellent shot from the middle of the penalty area.
Two minutes later we had a chance to score once more, but Büchel, within a time gap of about thirty seconds, first saved Elmas’s shot, and then Bardhi’s as well.
During the halftime, Blagoja Milevski left Serafimov and Alimi in the locker room, and their places were taken by Ilievski and Atanasov. After the break Macedonia continued to dictate the pace, despite the strong wind that blew throughout the match causing problems in creating our attacks.
Trajkovski had a chance to score his second goal in the 50th minute, but his attempt ended wide of the goal.
In the 62nd minute, coach Milevski made another double substitution. Alioski and Trajkovski left the field and were replaced by Dimoski and debutant David Toshevski.
In the 65th minute, Churlinov had a chance, but Büchel once again emerged victorious in the duel with our attackers, which was repeated in the 81st minute when he saved Toshevski’s shot.
Büchel was finally defeated for the third time in the 84th minute when Bojan Miovski set the final score, after Ilievski’s cross.
The only excitement until the end of the match occurred in the 89th minute when our goalkeeper Dimitrievski, in a clumsy attempt to clear the ball, hit the home striker Notaro, but fortunately the ball went over the goal.
The goals:
Macedonia will play their second match in Group J against Wales on Tuesday, March 25, at the National arena Todor Proeski in Skopje, starting at 20:45 CET.
According to the statement of the president of the Football Federation of Macedonia, Masar Omeragikj, all funds raised from ticket sales for this match will go to the families of the victims of the Kochani tragedy.
March 22nd, Rheinpark stadium in Vaduz 
Liechtenstein – 
Macedonia 0:3 (0:2)
Goals: 7′ Aleksandar Trajkovski, 42′ Visar Musliu, 84′ Bojan Miovski
Liechtenstein: Büchel; Wolfinger (72′ Zünd), Hofer, Göppel (55′ Kindle), Wieser (72′ Beck), Traber, Lüchinger, Sele, Hasler, Pizzi (62′ Notaro), Salanović (62′ Saglam). Coach: Konrad Fünfstück
Macedonia: Dimitrievski; Churlinov (80′ Trapanovski), Alioski (62′ Dimoski), Serafimov (46′ Ilievski), Zajkov, Musliu, Elmas, Alimi (46′ Atanasov), Trajkovski (62′ Toshevski), Bardhi, Miovski. Coach: Blagoja Milevski