Bosnia & Herzegovina vs North Macedonia 29 May 2026 Prediction

Bosnia and Herzegovina began its World Cup preparation on May 25. Manager Sergej Barbarez will assess his squad in a friendly against North Macedonia. Both teams are outside the top 50 of the FIFA rankings, but that did not stop the hosts from qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. How will this final tune-up go?

Edin Dzeko’s “Last Dance”

For Bosnia and Herzegovina, this match is an important part of World Cup preparation. Manager Sergej Barbarez has named an expanded 27-man squad, which includes five potential debutants: Serbecic, Culic, Kondric, Ramovic, and Selimovic.

In attack, the main focus is still on Edin Dzeko. Even at 40, he remains the team’s leader and main attacking threat after scoring 6 goals in qualifying. Forward Tabakovic has health issues and is still recovering. Because of that, he will not be available against North Macedonia, although he remains with the national team. Arijan Malic has been called up to the extended squad as a possible replacement.

Key players are available, including goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj and midfielder Denis Basic, who is responsible for moving attacks forward. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s defense is the team’s key unit. In both playoff matches against Wales (1-1) and Italy (1-1), the Bosnians handled pressure from stronger opponents by switching effectively between high pressing and a compact low block. The hosts were also solid in qualifying, allowing only 0.9 goals per game on average.

North Macedonia Starts a New Cycle

North Macedonia has different goals. The team had an unsuccessful qualifying campaign, finishing third in its group, but received a second chance in the playoffs thanks to its Nations League performance. However, the visitors could not take advantage of that opportunity, as Denmark beat them 4-0 in the playoffs. Manager Goce Sedloski said it is time for a generational change. He plans to use the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina to evaluate new players, which is why a record number of newcomers have been called up. Alomerovic, Jankulov, Angeleski, Dodev, and Omeragic could all make their national team debuts off the bench.

Despite the experimental squad, the visitors are taking the game seriously. Midfielder Atanasov said directly that there are no friendly matches for them and that they are going to Bosnia and Herzegovina to win. He and Angeleski form the holding midfield pairing. Away from home, North Macedonia usually plays cautiously, keeping at least five players behind the ball.

Bosnia and Herzegovina vs North Macedonia Predicted Lineup

Bosnia and Herzegovina (4-4-2): Vasilj — Dedic, Muharemovic, Katic, Kolasinac — Bajraktarevic, Basic, Burnic, Alajbegovic — Dzeko, Demirovic

Will not play: Tabakovic, Lukic (both doubtful)

Manager: Sergej Barbarez

North Macedonia (5-2-2-1): Dimitrievski — Despotovski, Velkovski, Zajkov, Fetai, Herrera — Atanasov, Angeleski — Elmas, Emini — Churlinov

Will not play: —

Manager: Goce Sedloski

Bosnia and Herzegovina vs North Macedonia Prediction: Bosnia and Herzegovina to Win at 1.93

Bosnia and Herzegovina comes into this match with a more stable squad and a clear objective. Barbarez’s team should play carefully and with discipline, relying on a solid defense and efficient finishing. Dzeko’s presence and home-field advantage make the hosts the favorites. The Dragons have looked confident at home, as shown by their win over Romania (3-1) and draw with the Netherlands (1-1) in the previous qualifying cycle. North Macedonia, with a new experimental squad, is unlikely to seriously trouble a well-organized Bosnian defense. The visitors have also failed to win in 5 straight away matches, scoring only 2 goals over that stretch. The pick is Bosnia and Herzegovina to win at 1.93. A riskier option is correct score 1-0 at 5.00, as Bosnia and Herzegovina has scored exactly 1 goal in each of its last 3 matches.