North Macedonia vs Switzerland on Saturday is the first senior meeting between the two countries, and it opens League B Group 1 of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League. Kick-off at the National Arena Todor Proeski in Skopje is at 20:45 CEST (19:45 BST). North Macedonia were promoted from League C in the last edition. Switzerland were relegated from League A, then reached their first World Cup quarter-final since 1954 this summer.

Murat Yakin wants promotion straight back, but he goes to Skopje without four players from that World Cup squad. His captain, Granit Xhaka, is not in the camp. On Monday Xhaka admitted obtaining a fake Covid-19 vaccination certificate in 2022, and he and the Swiss Football Association agreed that he would miss all four games in this window. Prosecutors in Lucerne have confirmed an investigation. Switzerland's most-capped player, with 152 caps, played in Sunderland's 5-3 defeat at Manchester City the day before.

Breel Embolo serves a one-match ban for his red card in the quarter-final defeat by Argentina and joins the squad for Tuesday's game against Scotland at Hampden. Denis Zakaria and Aurèle Amenda were ruled out of all four matches on Monday, and Yakin called up Isaac Schmidt of Young Boys, Vincent Sierro of Parma and Joël Monteiro of Lecce from his standby list.

Boteli's chance

The absences open the door for the two first call-ups in Yakin's original 25, Sion striker Winsley Boteli and Parma right-back Sascha Britschgi, both 20. Boteli had 12 goals and five assists in 14 competitive games when the squad was named. The German magazine kicker's predicted line-up has him starting in Embolo's place, with Ardon Jashari replacing Xhaka. Johan Manzambi, who had three goals and two assists in four World Cup matches, scored his first goal for Aston Villa on Saturday.

Four games, no goals

Goce Sedloski, the first player to win 100 caps for North Macedonia, was appointed head coach in December 2025 and his side have not scored since. They lost 4-0 to Denmark in Copenhagen in the World Cup play-off semi-final in March, drew 0-0 with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin and with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, and lost 4-0 to Türkiye in Istanbul on 1 June.

He has called up 28 players for four games in 11 days, four of them uncapped: defenders Anes Meliqi and Gjorgje Dzekov, Crvena Zvezda midfielder Matej Gashtarov and Struga forward Hristijan Maleski. Mario Mladenovski returns after four years. Darko Churlinov will miss the window because Pogoń Szczecin were late in starting the paperwork for his Polish work and residence permits, and defender Nikola Serafimov is injured.

I watched their matches at the World Cup and I think they will be the favourites in the group.

Goce Sedloski, North Macedonia head coach, on 16 September. Translated from Macedonian by ArenaBulletin.

Sedloski added that he believed his side could compete with Switzerland, as well as with Scotland and Slovenia, and named the midfield as their strength. Bojan Miovski and Elmin Rastoder lead an attack that also includes Maleski and Azer Omeragić, whom he picked for the goals they have scored in the Macedonian First League.

German referee Daniel Schlager takes charge. North Macedonia visit Slovenia on Tuesday and host Scotland on 3 October, and the two sides meet again in Lucerne on 6 October.