Macedonia in Wales: A Diaspora Night

O’Neill’s Pub, Cardiff, Wales 11/18/2025

7–1 on the Scoreboard, 1–0 in the Heart

I didn’t just go to a football match in Cardiff. I went to witness what happens when scattered people briefly become a whole again.

Over 700 Macedonians traveled from Macedonia, London, the USA, and across Europe to stand together in Wales for one game. Most of us had never met before, but we knew the songs, we knew the rhythm, and we knew why we were there.

The Journey to Wales

Cardiff welcomed us like old friends.
The Welsh people were some of the kindest I’ve ever encountered. Warm, respectful, and genuinely curious about us. That kindness stayed with me all weekend.

O’Neill’s Pub Before the Whistle

Before the stadium, there was O’Neill’s Pub.

Macedonian flags, jerseys, and voices filled the space. The tapan, our traditional drum, echoed through the pub like a heartbeat across borders. There was laughter, singing, hugging strangers like family, and even a priest who came just to show his support.

Then reality stepped in.
A small fight broke out over the old and new Macedonian flags. Alcohol likely fueled it, but the argument wasn’t about cloth. It was about identity, history, and wounds that still haven’t healed.

For a moment, unity cracked. And still, we stayed. Because even divided, we were together.

The Walk to the Stadium

Family and Football

Being there with my family made the match even more personal.

My niece plays for the VODNO football team back in Macedonia, and she’s the only girl on a team full of boys. She’s incredibly talented, fearless, and honestly… born for this. She wore her VODNO jersey proudly in Cardiff, representing her team like a pro already. She’s one of the most popular players on her team, and if anyone is going to make it to the professional level one day, it’s her.

My nephew plays for Vardar, and even though they’re still very young, 9 and 10, you can already see how football lives inside them.

Watching the match next to two kids who are building their own football dreams made everything feel full circle.

Maybe one day, I’ll be watching them play on a bigger stage.

The Game Beyond the Score

The score was 7–1.
A brutal loss on paper.

But something strange happens when you’re inside a moment like that.
The singing didn’t stop.
The pride didn’t fade.
The love didn’t shrink.

We lost the match.
But not the meaning.

Diaspora, Identity and What I Took Home

We’ve never qualified for the World Cup.
Now we face Denmark in the playoffs, again fighting history and not just opponents.

But what I witnessed in Wales was already a victory.
A diaspora that refuses to forget itself.
A culture that travels through drums, songs, and scarves.
A people still believing, even after 7–1.

I left proud.

Coming Next

This was more than a game for me.
I documented the entire journey for an upcoming Tinamar Media short documentary, capturing the travel, the unity, the conflict, and the heart behind it all.

Stay tuned.