North Macedonia in pot 3 for Euro 2028 qualifying draw
Draw on 6 December puts North Macedonia in the third pot; main qualifying phase begins in March next year with 54 teams.
North Macedonia has been placed in the third pot for the UEFA Euro 2028 qualifying draw, a development confirmed in the build-up to the draw scheduled for 6 December. The national team arrives at the draw amid a difficult run of results: two 3:0 defeats to Switzerland, a 2:0 loss to Slovenia and a 0:2 reverse against Scotland.
The principal qualifying phase is set to begin in March next year and will involve 54 teams. Hosts England, Wales, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland are included in the cycle, and the nations will be split into 12 groups, with half the groups containing five teams and the other half containing four.
Path to the final tournament
Group winners will qualify directly for the final tournament, together with the eight best runners-up. The remaining four second-placed teams with weaker records will enter play-offs alongside the Nations League winners to decide the final places.
An overview of the pots and Macedonia’s possible opponents was published alongside the announcement, showing the draw combinations the team could face in the coming qualifying campaign.
For North Macedonia the Nations League campaign concludes in November with an away match in Scotland and a home fixture against Slovenia. Regardless of which teams appear in the pots, the priority for the national side is to regain form and become competitive again.
Those results and the draw position underline the challenge ahead: the focus now turns to preparing for March and improving the performances that led to the recent defeats.
Photo: press material from the event
