North Macedonia defeated 3:0 by Bulgaria in Sofia; anthem played respectfully
Bulgaria beat North Macedonia 3:0 at Arena Sofia in the EuroVolley 2026 opener; the North Macedonia anthem was received without whistles.
North Macedonia opened its EuroVolley 2026 campaign with a straight-sets defeat in Sofia: hosts Bulgaria beat the visitors 3:0 at Arena Sofia on 9 September 2026.
Anthem and atmosphere
Both national anthems were played before the match. The North Macedonia anthem was met with respectful silence from the home crowd — there were no whistles or chants directed at it.
The result reflected the clear advantage of the host side, which arrived to the tournament as one of the favourites and dominated the evening in Sofia.
The calm reception for North Macedonia's anthem stood in contrast to earlier high-profile encounters between the two countries' fans in other sports, when tensions were more visible.
North Macedonia now turns its attention to the remaining group-stage fixtures as the team looks to regroup after the opening loss in EuroVolley 2026.
Photo: CEV.eu
