North Macedonia vs Switzerland prediction and predicted line-ups: Yakin without Xhaka and Embolo. Nations League, Saturday 26 September

North Macedonia and Switzerland have never met before. Goce Sedloski's side host Murat Yakin's World Cup quarter-finalists in Skopje on Saturday 26 September in the opening round of the 2026/27 Nations League. Yakin is without captain Granit Xhaka, Switzerland's record cap holder with 152, and the suspended Breel Embolo.

North Macedonia vs Switzerland: kick-off time and venue

North Macedonia vs Switzerland kicks off at 19:45 UK time (20:45 local time) on Saturday 26 September at the Toše Proeski National Arena in Skopje. It is Group B1 of League B in the Nations League, with Scotland and Slovenia.

Team news

Xhaka admitted obtaining a Covid vaccination certificate in 2022 without being vaccinated; prosecutors in Lucerne are investigating, and he is missing this camp in agreement with the federation. Embolo is serving a one-match ban for his red card in the World Cup quarter-final defeat by Argentina and will join up afterwards. Denis Zakaria and Aurèle Amenda pulled out injured on Monday 21 September, replaced by Young Boys' Isaac Schmidt, Parma's Vincent Sierro and Lecce's Joël Monteiro. The Swiss press expect Inter's Manuel Akanji to take the armband. On 22 September Yakin talked up AC Milan's Ardon Jashari: “Ich bin fest davon überzeugt, dass Ardon den Charakter und die Fähigkeiten hat, um ein Führungsspieler in der Nati zu sein” (I'm firmly convinced Ardon has the character and the ability to be a leader in the national team).

North Macedonia are without Darko Čurlinov, who has administrative problems with his residence permit in Poland, and the injured Nikola Serafimov.

North Macedonia vs Switzerland predicted line-ups

Neither side has an XI that holds up. Sedloski has said he will rotate; his main reference points are Stole Dimitrievski in goal, Atalanta's Eljif Elmas, Enis Bardhi and Agon Elezi in midfield, while Bojan Miovski, Elmin Rastoder, Omeragić and Hristijan Maleski are competing up front. There is no reliable Switzerland prediction around. Gregor Kobel is the goalkeeper, and with Xhaka and Zakaria missing, the midfield runs through Remo Freuler and Jashari. Zeki Amdouni, Cedric Itten or Sion's uncapped Winsley Boteli could replace Embolo, and at right-back it is Zachary Athekame or Parma's uncapped Sascha Britschgi. The official line-ups are released about an hour before kick-off.

Head-to-head and form

This is the first meeting between the two countries. North Macedonia have not scored in 2026: a 4-0 defeat in Denmark in the World Cup play-off semi-final, plus goalless friendlies with the Republic of Ireland and Bosnia and Herzegovina and a 4-0 loss in Turkey. At the World Cup Switzerland drew 1-1 with Qatar, then beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1, Canada 2-1 and Algeria 2-0, got past Colombia on penalties after a goalless draw and went out in the quarter-finals, 3-1 to Argentina after extra time.

Our North Macedonia vs Switzerland prediction

Our call is no more than four goals, confidence 6 out of 10. North Macedonia have gone four games without scoring, and Switzerland are without Xhaka, Zakaria and Embolo. Every other game is in our matchday one preview.

Every game with our calls is on the Nations League page. The record of settled calls is in the results history, and our calls on individual players are in player predictions.