North Macedonia national under-21 football team
Nickname(s) | The Red Lions (Црвени лавови) | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Football Federation of Macedonia | ||
Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
Head coach | Dragi Kanatlarovski | ||
Captain | Mario Ilievski | ||
Most caps | Mario Ilievski (30) | ||
Top scorer |
| ||
Home stadium | Petar Miloshevski TC | ||
FIFA code | MKD | ||
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First international | |||
Unofficial![]() ![]() (Skopje, 31 May 1994) Official ![]() ![]() (Kočani, 7 September 1994) | |||
Biggest win | |||
Unofficial![]() ![]() (Skopje, 31 May 1994) Official ![]() ![]() (Skopje, 10 September 2019) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
![]() ![]() (Skopje, 7 September 1999) | |||
UEFA U-21 Championship | |||
Appearances | 1 (first in 2017) | ||
Best result | Group stage, 2017 |
The North Macedonia national under-21 football team is a youth association football national team which represents North Macedonia at this age level and is a feeder team for the North Macedonia national football team. It was formerly known as the Macedonia national under-21 football team.
This team is for Macedonian players aged 21 or under at the start of a two-year European Under-21 Football Championship campaign, so players can be, and often are, up to 23 years old. Also in existence are teams for Under-20s (for non-UEFA tournaments), Under-19s and Under 17s. As long as they are eligible, players can play at any level, making it possible to play for the U21s, senior side and again for the U21s. It is also possible to play for one country at youth level and another at senior level (providing the player is eligible).
The under-21 age category came into existence with the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions in 1976. The Macedonia U21 team was formed following Macedonia's independence from SFR Yugoslavia in 1991 and is controlled by the Football Federation of North Macedonia (from 1976 to 1992 Macedonian players played for Yugoslavia U21). A 7–0 win in a friendly against Estonia played on 31 May 1994 was Macedonia U21s' first result. Four months later, Macedonia also had their first competitive match which ended in a 5–3 win against Denmark.
So far, the team has qualified for one final tournament, the one being the 2017 Euro U21 held in Poland for players born 1994 or later. They ended the tournament on the 11th position with 1 draw and 2 losses over the group stage.
UEFA U-21 Championship Record[edit]
UEFA U-21 Championship record | UEFA U-21 Championship Qualification record | Manager(s) | ||||||||||||||||
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Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | |||
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Did not qualify | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 27 | −11 | Jovo Nikushev | |||||||||
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8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 17 | −14 | Zoran Smileski | ||||||||||
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8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 25 | −23 | Perica Gruevski, Blagoja Kitanovski | ||||||||||
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10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 18 | −12 | Blagoja Kitanovski, Nikola Ilievski | ||||||||||
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8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 23 | −19 | Zharko Odjakov, Mirsad Jonuz | ||||||||||
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12 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 18 | −9 | Mirsad Jonuz | ||||||||||
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4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||
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8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | −1 | |||||||||||
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8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 19 | −10 | Mirsad Jonuz, Boban Babunski | ||||||||||
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8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 15 | −1 | Boban Babunski | ||||||||||
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8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 13 | −13 | Boban Babunski, Vujadin Stanojković | ||||||||||
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Group stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 | −7 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | Blagoja Milevski | ||
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Did not qualify | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 24 | −7 | Blagoja Milevski, Dobrinko Ilievski | |||||||||
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10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 12 | +8 | Blagoja Milevski | ||||||||||
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10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 15 | −7 | Blagoja Milevski, Dragan Kanatlarovski | ||||||||||
Total | 1/15 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 | −7 | 132 | 32 | 26 | 74 | 136 | 245 | −109 |
2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship[edit]
Qualification[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ![]() |
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1 | ![]() |
10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 21 | Final tournament | — | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | |
2 | ![]() |
10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 8 | +9 | 20 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | ||
3 | ![]() |
10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 18 | 3–0 | 3–2 | — | 2–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | ||
4 | ![]() |
10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 12 | +2 | 14 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | — | 4–0 | 1–1 | ||
5 | ![]() |
10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 17 | −9 | 8 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–2 | — | 3–1 | ||
6 | ![]() |
10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 18 | −12 | 2 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | — |
Final tournament[edit]
Group stage[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 9 | Knockout stage |
2 | ![]() |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 6 | |
3 | ![]() |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 1 | |
4 | ![]() |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 | −7 | 1 |
2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship[edit]
Qualification[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ![]() |
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1 | ![]() |
10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 | +19 | 28 | Final tournament | — | 3–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | |
2 | ![]() |
10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 12 | +8 | 18 | 0–1 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 7–1 | 2–1 | ||
3 | ![]() |
10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 14 | −2 | 13 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 1–2 | 3–1 | 0–0 | ||
4 | ![]() |
10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 21 | −9 | 10 | 0–1 | 1–4 | 1–2 | — | 2–3 | 0–4 | ||
5 | ![]() |
10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 25 | −14 | 9 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | — | 1–0 | ||
6 | ![]() |
10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 13 | −2 | 7 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–0 | — |
2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship[edit]
Qualification[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ![]() |
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1 | ![]() |
10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 5 | +26 | 26 | Final tournament | — | 5–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 7–0 | |
2 | ![]() |
10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 11 | +9 | 23 | Play-offs | 3–3 | — | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2–1 | |
3 | ![]() |
10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 12 | 0–3 | 0–1 | — | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | ||
4 | ![]() |
10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 12 | −6 | 10 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | ||
5 | ![]() |
10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 15 | −7 | 9 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | — | 3–1 | ||
6 | ![]() |
10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 28 | −21 | 3 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 1–2 | — |
2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship[edit]
Qualification[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ![]() |
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1 | ![]() |
7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 2 | +19 | 21 | Final tournament | — | 9 Sep '24 | 14 Oct '24 | 3–0 | 5 Sep '24 | 1–0 | |
2 | ![]() |
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 13 | Play-offs | 0–3 | — | 0–0 | 5 Sep '24 | 15 Oct '24 | 2–0 | |
3 | ![]() |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 5 | +8 | 10 | 2–4 | 10 Oct '24 | — | 4–0 | 0–1 | 6 Sep '24 | ||
4 | ![]() |
7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 15 | −9 | 6[a] | 0–3 | 0–1 | 10 Sep '24 | — | 2–1 | 1–2 | ||
5 | ![]() |
6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 6[a] | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 11 Oct '24 | — | 1–0 | ||
6 | ![]() |
8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 20 | −17 | 3 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 0–5 | 1–3 | 9 Sep '24 | — |
(E) Eliminated; (Y) Cannot qualify directly, but may still qualify through play-offs
Notes:
Recent results and fixtures[edit]
Generation 2002+[edit]
- * Macedonia's scores are always listed first
Squad[edit]
Current squad[edit]
Squad named for the 2025 UEFA U21 Euro qualifiers against Gibraltar and Sweden on 21 and 26 March 2024.[1]
Caps and goals as of 27 March 2024, after the match against Sweden.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | GK | Marko Alchevski | 16 April 2002 | 14 | 0 | ![]() |
12 | GK | Ivan Nikoloski | 23 December 2002 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
22 | GK | Stefan Mitrev | 14 February 2003 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
11 | DF | Metodi Maksimov | 20 August 2002 | 26 | 4 | ![]() |
4 | DF | Andrej Stojchevski | 26 May 2003 | 20 | 1 | ![]() |
6 | DF | Stefan Despotovski | 23 January 2003 | 18 | 0 | ![]() |
15 | DF | Imran Fetai | 2 August 2002 | 13 | 0 | ![]() |
2 | DF | Mihail Dimitrievski | 11 July 2002 | 7 | 0 | ![]() |
20 | MF | Dimitar Todorovski | 7 March 2002 | 27 | 2 | ![]() |
10 | MF | Luka Stankovski | 2 September 2002 | 22 | 1 | ![]() |
8 | MF | Ivan Nikolov | 17 February 2002 | 19 | 1 | ![]() |
5 | MF | Reshat Ramadani | 30 June 2003 | 18 | 0 | ![]() |
19 | MF | Aleks Zlatkov | 19 March 2002 | 18 | 0 | ![]() |
18 | MF | Vane Krstevski | 28 April 2003 | 17 | 0 | ![]() |
21 | MF | Hamza Ramani | 17 September 2002 | 15 | 1 | ![]() |
14 | MF | Matej Angelov | 11 July 2004 | 9 | 0 | ![]() |
16 | MF | Ardijan Chilafi | 3 June 2004 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
13 | MF | Xhemil Jahiji | 2 March 2003 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
3 | MF | Shaban Zenku | 4 February 2004 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
9 | FW | Mario Ilievski (captain) | 24 April 2002 | 30 | 6 | ![]() |
17 | FW | Luan Abazi | 19 January 2002 | 18 | 6 | ![]() |
7 | FW | Berat Kalkan | 2 March 2003 | 17 | 4 | ![]() |
23 | FW | Erkan Semovski | 23 November 2004 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
Recent call-ups[edit]
Players that have been called up within the past 12 months and are eligible for the 2023 European U21 Football Championship Qualifiers.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GK | Vasko Vasilev | 16 April 2004 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
GK | Stefan Tasev | 8 July 2004 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Viktor Krstevski INJ | 4 April 2002 | 16 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Dimitrij Poposki | 10 November 2002 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Mario Richkov INJ | 4 May 2004 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Kristijan Tasevski | 11 October 2003 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Hristijan Georgievski | 12 April 2003 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Fisnik Isaki | 27 April 2003 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Behar Feta INJ | 7 April 2003 | 16 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Martin Talakov | 9 March 2003 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Filip Trpchevski | 4 May 2003 | 2 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Dimitar Trajkov | 8 August 2004 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Hristijan Maleski | 4 May 2002 | 10 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
- A: Called up by the Macedonia A National Team
- U19: Called up by the Macedonia U19 National Team
- INJ: Injured
- WD: Withdrew
Current First Squad[edit]
Past squads[edit]
Statistics[edit]
- As of 26 March 2024
Most appearances[edit]
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Top goalscorers[edit]
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See also[edit]
- Macedonia national football team
- Macedonia national under-19 football team
- Macedonia national under-17 football team
- European Under-21 Football Championship
References[edit]
External links[edit]
- MacedonianFootball Contains news and information about the Macedonian U-21 National Football Team.
- UEFA Under-21 website Contains full results archive
- The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Contains full record of U-21/U-23 Championships.