Bojan Miovski scored a goal and assisted another as North Macedonia began their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 3-0 win over Liechtenstein, who suffered their 12th straight defeat in home qualifiers. The match took place at the Rheinpark Stadion, with the snow-capped Alps providing a stunning backdrop.
North Macedonia quickly asserted dominance, with Miovski weaving past Sandro Wieser and rounding goalkeeper Benjamin Buchel to set up Aleksandar Trajkovski for an easy header into an empty net. Despite being largely in control, North Macedonia almost conceded when Villiam Pizzi’s shot nearly got past goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski. Elif Elmas had a goal ruled out for offside before Visar Musliu doubled the lead with a brilliant volley from Isnik Alimi’s flicked-on corner.
Elmas came close to adding another early in the second half, but his shot missed the post. He later forced a fine save from Buchel with a header from Darko Churlinov’s cross. Churlinov himself then had an opportunity, but Buchel was again the savior. Miovski sealed the win with a first-time volley off Bojan Ilievski’s cross, completing a strong performance for North Macedonia.
The visitors cruised through the final minutes, securing their fourth straight win over Liechtenstein without conceding. They’ve now lost just one of their last seven away World Cup qualifiers, ahead of a tougher match against Wales on Tuesday. Liechtenstein faces Kazakhstan on the same day in what looks to be a challenging campaign for them.
