Bosnia & Herzegovina vs North Macedonia Live Score — Pre-World Cup Friendly Result

Bosnia and Herzegovina host North Macedonia on Friday, 29 May 2026, with kickoff at 8:30 PM local time (CEST) / 6:30 PM GMT / 7:30 PM BST / 2:30 PM ET at the iconic Koševo Stadium in Sarajevo. For the Dragons, this is the official beginning of their pre-tournament preparation cycle — their only match before flying to North America for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Under Sergej Barbarez, Bosnia made history in March by eliminating four-time world champions Italy on penalties to reach only their second ever World Cup. North Macedonia, by contrast, saw their own tournament dream ended by a 4-0 defeat to Denmark in the playoff semi-finals. Follow this page for the Bosnia and Herzegovina vs North Macedonia live score, goals, cards, and full match result.

Bosnia and Herzegovina vs North Macedonia Live Score

Pre World Cup Friendly

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Bosnia and Herzegovina

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North Macedonia

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Bosnia and Herzegovina vs North Macedonia Match Details

Note: Kickoff was officially moved from the original 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM local time by mutual agreement of both associations.

This is Bosnia’s only fixture in their pre-World Cup window and the sole occasion for Barbarez to assess his squad in live match conditions before their Group B opener against Canada in Toronto on 12 June. The Bosnian Football Association was notably the first national federation worldwide to announce its official final 26-man World Cup squad.

Bosnia and Herzegovina vs North Macedonia Predicted Lineups

Confirmed lineups will be added here approximately one hour before kickoff.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (Predicted): Barbarez is expected to be mindful of workload management for senior players ahead of the World Cup, though several first-choice names are still expected to feature. Captain Edin Džeko — 40 years old and playing in the 2. Bundesliga with Schalke — is anticipated to lead the attack, potentially on a managed minutes plan. Goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj (St. Pauli), who was brilliant in both playoff shootouts, is the likely starter. Stuttgart forward Ermedin Demirović is expected to partner Džeko, with young PSV Eindhoven winger Esmir Bajraktarević — who scored the decisive World Cup-qualifying penalty against Italy — pushing for a starting berth. Benjamin Tahirović and Rade Krunić provide balance in midfield, while Sead Kolašinac adds experience at left back. The confirmed starting XI for Bosnia has not yet been announced. Check back closer to kickoff.

North Macedonia (Predicted): Coach Blagoja Milevski is expected to deploy a compact 4-2-3-1 shape. Bojan Miovski leads the forward line, while Eljif Elmas provides creativity in the number ten role. Enis Bardhi is a goal threat from midfield and set pieces. Aleksandar Trajkovski offers pace from wide areas. Goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski and veteran centre-backs Darko Velkovski and Visar Musliu provide experience at the back. The confirmed starting XI for North Macedonia has not yet been announced. Check back closer to kickoff.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Pre-Match Form

Bosnia and Herzegovina arrive at this fixture on the back of one of the most emotional qualifying campaigns in Bosnian football history. The entire nation celebrated their improbable shootout path to the World Cup, and Sarajevo will be electric on Friday evening.

• Won vs Italy 1-1 (4-1 on pens) — WC Playoff Final, Zenica, 31 March 2026.
• Won vs Wales 1-1 (4-2 on pens) — WC Playoff Semi-Final, Cardiff, 27 March 2026.
• Won vs Malta 4-1 — International Friendly, October 2025. (WC qualifying group results prior.)

Two consecutive penalty shootout wins in the space of five days in March — beating Wales in Cardiff and then Italy at home in Zenica — defines Bosnia’s form heading into this World Cup. Džeko’s header that forced extra time against Italy, followed by Bajraktarević’s winning penalty, captured the imagination of the footballing world. This is, as the mightytips preview noted, the first match in a new chapter for Bosnian football.

North Macedonia Pre-Match Form

North Macedonia head to Sarajevo still processing the pain of their 4-0 playoff semi-final loss to Denmark in March. The Wolves have now been eliminated from World Cup qualifying at the playoff stage twice in succession and must rebuild for the UEFA Nations League and beyond.

• Lost vs Denmark 0-4 — WC Playoff Semi-Final, Copenhagen, 26 March 2026.
• Lost vs Wales 1-7 — WC Qualifier, November 2025.
• Drew vs Belgium 0-0 — WC Qualifier. Drew vs Kazakhstan 1-1 — WC Qualifier.
• Won vs Liechtenstein 5-0 — WC Qualifier.

The 7-1 loss to Wales and 4-0 defeat to Denmark in back-to-back knockout matches exposed defensive fragility at the highest level. Yet it should be noted that North Macedonia reached the playoffs in the first place from a group containing Belgium and Wales, which speaks to the squad’s genuine competitive quality. Key attackers Bojan Miovski and Eljif Elmas remain among the most dangerous players in European football outside of a major tournament.

Full form data for North Macedonia beyond the above was not available at time of writing.

Bosnia and Herzegovina vs North Macedonia Head-to-Head

These two Balkan neighbours have a rich H2H history across five previous senior meetings, all friendlies — a record intertwined with personal connections. Current Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez played in three of those games as a player, and memorably scored a brace in the 4-4 draw in 2002.

Overall: Bosnia & Herz. 1W – 3D – 1L vs North Macedonia. The record is remarkably even across 27 years, and Friday’s meeting is the first senior fixture between the sides since 2008. Notably, Edin Džeko also played in the 2008 encounter — meaning the veteran captain could feature on both sides of an 18-year gap between matches.

Bosnia and Herzegovina vs North Macedonia Match Preview

Few pre-tournament friendlies in this window carry as much emotional charge as this one. Sarajevo’s Koševo Stadium will be packed with fans still euphoric from Bosnia’s miracle qualifying run, and Barbarez will want his players to channel that emotion into a sharp, focused performance that gives them confidence heading into Group B.

Bosnia’s World Cup opponents — Canada, Switzerland, and Qatar — will all be scouting this fixture closely. A dominant, composed display against a well-organised North Macedonia side would send a message. A sloppy, over-emotional performance would raise questions. Barbarez has already named his final 26-man squad — the first coach in the world to do so for this tournament — meaning this pre-World Cup friendly carries a player-audition quality, with fringe players knowing this is their last chance to make an impression.

For North Macedonia, Sarajevo is a chance for redemption after their poor March exits. Milevski will want to show the Wolves still have pride and competitive spirit, and a result against World Cup qualifiers on the road would begin a positive rebuild cycle ahead of UEFA Nations League action in September. Miovski against the Bosnia back line is the headline tactical duel.

Bosnia and Herzegovina vs North Macedonia Match Report

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Bosnia and Herzegovina vs North Macedonia gives Sergej Barbarez a final live run-out before his squad departs for North America and their Group B opener against Canada in Toronto on 12 June — Bosnia’s first World Cup match since Brazil 2014.

Bookmark this page for live score updates, goal alerts, and the full match result as soon as the final whistle sounds. Follow FWCTimes.com for the Bosnia & Herzegovina vs North Macedonia player ratings, match report, and all pre-World Cup friendly 2026 coverage. Check also: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs North Macedonia Preview