On Friday, October 10, at the Planet Group Arena in Ghent, a top-of-the-table clash in Group J of the World Cup qualifiers takes place between Belgium and North Macedonia, currently second and first in the group. The home team has so far collected 10 points, one less than their opponents but with a game in hand. With a victory, they would leap to the top of the table and, having an extra game to play, could easily move closer to winning the group and securing direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup. North Macedonia, on the other hand, will do everything to avoid their first defeat in this World Cup qualifying campaign, maintain their lead at the top of the standings, and keep Wales, just one point behind, at bay. Given the strong balance in this group, with the top three teams separated by only a single point, any slip-up could seriously compromise the race for the top two spots. For this reason, a high-intensity match is expected that, regardless of the final result, will reshape the top of Group J.

Belgium's Recent Form and Key Stats

Belgium, coached by Rudi Garcia, is in excellent form, coming off three consecutive wins in the World Cup qualifiers. In their last official match on September 7, the Red Devils demolished Kazakhstan 6-0, with braces from De Bruyne and Doku and goals from Raskin and Meunier. This result replicated the previous 6-0 victory over Liechtenstein just three days earlier.

After the first four matchdays in Group J, Belgium has collected 10 points from three wins and one draw, boasting an impressive average of 4.25 goals scored and only 1 conceded per game. Despite lacking a true striker due to Lukaku’s injury, Garcia’s squad is thriving thanks to the quality and creativity of Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku, stars of Manchester City and Napoli.

At home, Belgium remains a guarantee: three consecutive wins across qualifiers and Nations League (3-0 vs Ukraine, 4-3 vs Wales, and 6-0 vs Kazakhstan) and a streak of five victories in their last home World Cup qualifying matches.

North Macedonia's Recent Form and Key Stats

North Macedonia is in extraordinary form, unbeaten in twelve consecutive matches across all competitions. In their last fixture on September 7, Blagoja Milevski’s team dominated Liechtenstein 5-0, with goals from Bardhi, Churlinov, Qamili, Stankovski, and an own goal by Büchel.

The Macedonians enter this match as the top team in Group J with 11 points from five matches, including three wins and two draws, with an average of 2.2 goals scored and only 0.4 conceded per game. This is a team that is not only clinical and prolific in attack but also solid and organized defensively, keeping a clean sheet in three out of five games.

North Macedonia also comes off four consecutive away victories against Latvia, Armenia, Liechtenstein, and Kazakhstan. While these opponents are certainly weaker than Belgium, they demonstrate the team’s strong away performance under Milevski, winning five of their last six World Cup qualifying away matches.

Belgium vs North Macedonia Prediction by BetMines

BetMines’ prediction for Belgium vs North Macedonia strongly favors the home team, boosted by home advantage and a favorable recent head-to-head record. The Red Devils have won three of the last four encounters, conceding only a draw to North Macedonia, a 1-1 result in the first leg last June.

According to BetMines’ algorithm, Belgium has a 67% chance of winning, while North Macedonia stands at 13%, with a draw estimated at 20%. Milevski’s squad risks ending their positive away streak, unable to match a national team clearly stronger than the previous opponents they have faced (and beaten) on the road.

One element shared by both teams is their strong attacking tendency, as shown by their scoring averages in the first matchdays of the qualifiers. For this reason, BetMines also suggests an Over 2.5 goals bet, with a 58% probability, predicting a lively and entertaining match with at least three total goals.

Predicted Lineups Belgium vs North Macedonia

BELGIUM (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Castagne, Debast, Theate, De Cuyper; Vanaken, Raskin; Doku, De Bruyne, Trossard; Openda. Coach: Rudi Garcia

NORTH MACEDONIA (4-4-2): Dimitrievski; Ilievski, Stojcevski, Zajkov, Alioski; Churlinov, Alimi, Bardhi, Elmas; Miovski, Trajkovski. Coach: Blagoja Milevski