Can the Swiss national team overcome its internal turmoil?
Switzerland actually looks back on a strong summer, as the national team reached the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup and didn’t lose until extra time, falling 1–3 to eventual finalist Argentina. Nevertheless, ahead of the Nations League opener, the North Macedonia vs. Switzerland prediction is also overshadowed by the turbulent days surrounding the national team.
Noah Okafor made headlines back in early September when he announced that he no longer wished to play for Switzerland under Murat Yakin for the time being, citing a broken relationship of trust. Even more serious is the case involving captain Granit Xhaka, who admitted to having obtained a fake COVID vaccination certificate in 2022 and, as a result, has been excluded from the squad for the time being in consultation with the Swiss Football Association.
Despite all this distractions, the focus must, of course, remain on the game itself. After being relegated from League A in the 2024 Nations League—when they managed only two points in six matches against Serbia, Denmark, and Spain—the Swiss are now aiming for first place in their group from the very start, facing North Macedonia, Scotland, and Slovenia.
The odds are certainly in their favor, as Switzerland is clearly the stronger team on paper, and there are good reasons to expect a successful start, especially in the opening match. To make matters more difficult for the home team, North Macedonia has been waiting for a win in an international match since September 2025. Consequently, a prediction of an away win in the North Macedonia vs. Switzerland matchup seems particularly intriguing, especially since the Swiss recently demonstrated their quality on the international stage by reaching the quarterfinals at the World Cup.
In North Macedonia, a fresh start is set to begin (once again) under Goce Sedloski. The 52-year-old took over in December 2025 as the successor to Blagoja Milevski, who had led the team to promotion to League B. Since then, however, Sedloski has yet to secure his first win, and the team’s record in its last four international matches—two scoreless draws against Ireland and Bosnia, and 0–4 losses to Denmark and Turkey—is sobering.
The offense is a particular cause for concern: As mentioned, North Macedonia failed to score a single goal in those four matches. Since Switzerland kept clean sheets in both of its World Cup knockout matches against Algeria and Colombia, I find the odds for a Swiss victory—including a clean sheet—against North Macedonia quite interesting.
North Macedonia – Switzerland Head-to-Head Record
The head-to-head record also provides only limited insight ahead of this Nations League matchup, as North Macedonia and Switzerland have never faced each other in a competitive match.
When looking at the North Macedonia vs. Switzerland betting odds, therefore, the main factors to consider are current form, squad quality, and the teams’ differing circumstances.
North Macedonia – Switzerland Prediction
Despite some personnel uncertainties, Switzerland enters this opening match as the clear favorite. Following a strong World Cup campaign this past summer—where they reached the quarterfinals—the Swiss national team brings significantly more individual talent and international experience to the table, while North Macedonia, under Goce Sedloski, has gone four games without a win and has even failed to score a single goal during that stretch.
The main danger, however, lies in the absence of several (potential) key players, including Granit Xhaka, Denis Zakaria, Aurele Amenda, Noah Okafor, and Breel Embolo.
The teams’ current form and the difference in quality suggest that the Swiss will be able to control the match, while North Macedonia has recently struggled greatly to finish their chances. If you want to bet on this scenario more specifically, you can take the 1:0, 2:0, or 3:0 results for the Swiss national team at odds of 2.70. Alternatively, the combination of X2 and Under 3.5 goals offers slightly less risk.
