People are only just realising why Macedonia are now called North Macedonia
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The die is already cast for both England and North Macedonia ahead of Monday's meeting in Skopje.
Regardless of the result, the Three Lions will advance to Euro 2024 having won Group C, while the Lynxes know they'll finish fourth in the table even with a surprise win. That being said, there's considerable pride at stake given England will want to preserve their undefeated record, while Blagoja Milevski's men hope to make up for their 7-0 defeat at Wembley in June.
It's the sixth time North Macedonia have faced off against England overall but only the second they'll have done so under their current guise. Many fans – particularly those of the older generations – will be accustomed to the country in southeast Europe going by the more straightforward 'Macedonia', and understandably so.
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It was only four or so years ago that the name change came about as a result of a dispute between the landlocked nation and Greece, its neighbour to the south. The two territories have been at odds over land rights since World War II, but the issue was intensified by Yugoslavia's dissolution and Macedonia's ensuing reformation as a republic in 1991.
Greece maintained its frustrations over the usage of the name 'Macedonia', which in fact refers to a much larger region that also includes parts of four other countries: Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania and Kosovo. The United Nations oversaw talks between representatives from Athens and Skopje until an agreement was finally reached in 2018 for Macedonia (the country) to change its name.
What will be the final score between England and North Macedonia in Skopje? Let us know in the comments section below.
'North Macedonia' was the new name settled on by both parties via the Prespa Agreement, though it didn't formally come into effect until January 2019. The treaty was named after Lake Prespa, which shares land between the two countries and was used as an idyllic setting for the contract's signature.
It's perhaps mere coincidence that North Macedonia's results have improved in the years since then. The Lynxes qualified for their first major tournament at Euro 2020 and reached the play-offs for the 2022 World Cup after beating both Germany and Italy.
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They won't be able to carry on that good fortune in Germany next year after taking just seven points from their first seven Euro 2024 qualifiers. But they can still leave a mark on Gareth Southgate's England on Monday as they seek to restart anew ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
- England Football Team
- Gareth Southgate
- Euro 2024
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