A spectacular late solo goal from substitute Michael Olise propelled France to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Belgium in Brussels on September 28, 2026. The crucial strike marked a second consecutive UEFA Nations League victory for Les Bleus under newly appointed manager Zinedine Zidane.
Olise entered the pitch as a 76th-minute substitute for Bradley Barcola. In the 88th minute, he collected the ball inside his own half following a fast break initiated by Rayan Cherki. The Bayern Munich winger drove forward to the edge of the Belgian penalty area, shook off a defender, and coolly curled his effort past goalkeeper Senne Lammens into the bottom left corner.
The narrow victory kept France at the top of Group A1 with six points from two matches. However, the contest highlighted the attacking challenges facing Zidane’s squad. These issues were particularly evident in the absence of star forward Kylian Mbappé, who missed the fixture due to a knee injury sustained during their previous match against Turkey.
Zidane Rings the Changes in Brussels
Overseeing only his second match in charge, manager Zinedine Zidane made nine changes to the starting lineup that defeated Turkey. France controlled large spells of possession and generated 18 total shots. Yet, they struggled to find a clinical edge against a stubborn Belgian defense organized by coach Mark van Bommel in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Desire Doue stood out as a constant creative threat for the visitors. He was unlucky not to break the deadlock during the first half when his effort crashed off the crossbar. Debutant Lucas da Cunha also came close by striking the post as France tested Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens and an inexperienced French backline featuring Mike Maignan in goal.
Belgium posed threats through wingers Mika Godts and Dodi Lukebakio, alongside captain Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans. Despite these efforts, they failed to break down a resolute French defense.
Group A1 Standings and Context
With the win, France solidified their position at the summit of Group A1 heading into their upcoming fixture against Italy on Friday. Meanwhile, Belgium was left with three points and prepares to face Turkey.
Elsewhere in Group A1, Italy rebounded from their opening match defeat with a dominant 4-1 victory over Turkey in Bursa. Alessandro Bastoni opened the scoring. Davide Frattesi and Michael Kayode then capitalized on defensive errors by goalkeeper Altay Bayindir. Baris Yilmaz pulled one back for Turkey, before Pio Esposito sealed the three-point haul for the Italians with a late header.
Match Statistics and Lineups
Belgium (4-2-3-1): Senne Lammens; Timothy Castagne, Nathan Ngoy, Brandon Mechele, Joaquin Seys (Maxime De Cuyper 68′); Roméo Lavia (Nicolas Raskin 85′), Youri Tielemans; Djeidi Moreira (Dodi Lukébakio 63′), Kevin De Bruyne (Hans Vanaken 63′), Mika Godts; Charles De Ketelaere (Matias Fernandez-Pardo 85′).
France (4-3-3): Mike Maignan; Pierre Kalulu, Jérémy Jacquet, Maxence Lacroix, Andy Diouf; Maghnes Akliouche (Rayan Cherki 77′), Lucas da Cunha (Manu Koné 90′), Eduardo Camavinga; Desire Doue, Emmanuel Lepaul (Ousmane Dembélé 68′), Bradley Barcola (Michael Olise 77′).
