79 Years of Vardar: A Birthday Night on European Soil — and the Fight Goes On in Riga
FK Vardar turned 79 on 22 July 2026 — and marked the occasion with a European night at the Todor Proeski Arena against Latvian side Riga FC. The 2-3 defeat leaves the tie alive ahead of the return leg on 30 July in Riga.
Seventy-nine years. That is how long FK Vardar has stood at the heart of Macedonian football — founded on 22 July 1947 through the merger of two Skopje clubs, Makedonija and Pobeda, and grown into the most decorated club in the country's history. On Tuesday evening, Vardar marked that birthday with a European night at the Todor Proeski National Arena — exactly the kind of occasion this club was built for.
The opponent was Riga FC from Latvia, in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League. The result — a 2-3 defeat — was not the birthday gift the fans had hoped for. But in the context of a two-legged tie, with the return leg on 30 July in Riga, the story is far from over.
How the Match Unfolded
Vardar started brightly, taking the lead early in the match. But Riga — a club that had already shown resilience this season, having beaten Armenian champions Ararat in the previous round — fought back quickly. The Latvians turned the match around before half-time, leading 2-1 at the break after a goalkeeping error and a sharp finish from Iago Siceira.
Vardar regrouped at the interval and came out with more attacking intent in the second half. In the 66th minute, substitute Goran Zakarić delivered a precise cross and Gerson Rodrigues headed home to make it 2-2 — and suddenly the arena was alive again. But Riga had one more in them, and the Latvians scored the decisive third goal to take a 3-2 aggregate lead into the return leg.
📍 Venue: Todor Proeski National Arena, Skopje
🏆 Competition: UEFA Conference League — 2nd Qualifying Round, First Leg
⚽ Vardar goals: own goal (Savolainen, 59') + Goran Zakarić pen. + Rodrigues (66')
📅 Return leg: 30 July 2026, Riga, Latvia
🎂 Special: Vardar's 79th birthday — founded 22 July 1947
79 Years of History Behind Them
Founded in 1947 from the union of two clubs that had survived the Second World War, Vardar has grown into a symbol that transcends football. Ten Macedonian championship titles, six Cup victories, a Yugoslav League title in 1986/87 — and a Yugoslavian Cup won back in 1961 that sent the whole of Macedonia into celebration. Two Vardar players, Darko Pančev and Ilija Najdoski, were in the Red Star Belgrade squad that won the European Cup in 1991.
The club's supporters — the Komiti, one of the most passionate fan communities in the Balkans — have been there through every chapter. Founded in 1987, the Komiti have stood by Vardar through titlesm relegations, rebirths and European nights alike.
The Road to Riga — and What's at Stake
A one-goal deficit going into the return leg on 30 July is entirely manageable. Vardar showed in Finland — against KuPS, a stronger team than Riga — that they can come from behind and fight. The team that scored three goals in Kuopio has the quality to overturn this result in Latvia.
A win in Riga would send Vardar into the third qualifying round of the Conference League, keeping the European summer alive and bringing the club one step closer to the group stage — and the financial rewards that come with it. For a 79-year-old club that has given so much to Macedonian football, that would be the best late birthday present of all.
MKNews Hub · Sport · 23 July 2026