Belgium team disappoints

North Macedonia continued their impressive progress on the international stage as they earned a 1-1 draw with Belgium in Skopje, thanks to a stunning 87th-minute strike from Ezgjan Alioski.

This result helped the home team extend their unbeaten streak to 9 matches (6 wins, 3 draws) and affirm their increasingly formidable position in Group J of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Meanwhile, Belgium had a disappointing opening match and put themselves in a difficult position when they are 6 points behind Wales. Just one more misstep and the "Red Devils" will face the risk of not being able to attend the World Cup.

De Bruyne and his teammates were disappointing.

Against the experienced Belgium team, North Macedonia started the match with confidence and almost created a surprise. In the 20th minute, Eljif Elmas fired a powerful shot that hit the post and just a few seconds later, Alioski himself hit the goal post on the opposite side in a chaotic situation.

However, the home team paid the price for their wasted chances. In the 28th minute, after Romelu Lukaku's shot was blocked, defender Maxim De Cuyper was there at the right time to score the opening goal for Belgium.

After the break, Blagoja Milevski's side showed signs of improvement, and looked to have found an early equaliser through Bojan Ilievski in the 48th minute. However, VAR ruled out the goal for offside. Meanwhile, Belgium continued to press and had another dangerous move when Nicolas Raskin hit the post after a pass from Jeremy Doku.

In a tight match that seemed to end in a victory for the visitors, Alioski shone brightly. In the 87th minute, the veteran defender volleyed with his left foot from outside the penalty area, sending the ball into Simon Mignolet's net, leaving the Belgian defense stunned.

This goal helped North Macedonia maintain their unbeaten streak in the qualifying round, something that seemed impossible for a team considered "underdogs". For Belgium, this match marked an incomplete debut for coach Rudi Garcia as a captain, and showed that the "Red Devils" still have a lot to improve if they want to win a ticket to North America 2026.