Brussels, Belgium, 29 September, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The France Belgium win offered an early demonstration of the depth available to new Les Bleus coach Zinédine Zidane, as a heavily rotated French side secured a 1-0 UEFA Nations League victory at Brussels’ King Baudouin Stadium. Michael Olise decided Monday night’s contest with a superb solo goal in the 88th minute.
Zidane makes nine changes for Belgium clash
Zidane made nine changes from the team that had beaten Türkiye 1-0 in his first match as France coach three days earlier. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan and defender Maxence Lacroix were the only players retained in the starting XI.
Captain Kylian Mbappé was unavailable after returning to Real Madrid for treatment on a left-knee injury sustained against Türkiye. Zidane therefore used the demanding Nations League schedule to give opportunities to less experienced members of his squad.
Lucas Da Cunha, Andy Diouf and Jérémy Jacquet received their first senior France caps, while Esteban Lepaul also started in attack. Despite the extensive changes, France created several of the match’s clearest opportunities.
Désiré Doué struck the crossbar during the first half before Da Cunha hit the post after the interval. Belgium also threatened through Dodi Lukébakio and Mika Godts as the match remained goalless deep into the second half.
Olise scores decisive late goal in Brussels
Olise replaced Bradley Barcola in the 77th minute and transformed the contest eleven minutes later. The Bayern Munich attacker collected possession around halfway, drove towards the Belgian penalty area and curled his finish beyond goalkeeper Senne Lammens into the bottom corner.
The goal secured the France Belgium win and gave Zidane victories in each of his first two matches as national-team coach, both by 1-0 scorelines. France moved to six points in Nations League Group A1 after victories over Türkiye and Belgium.
Zidane praises France’s performance
Zidane said afterwards that France had produced a strong performance against a difficult Belgian side.
“We were brave; we were not afraid to get into the opposition half,” Zidane told TF1, adding that France had dominated the match overall and deserved the victory.
Da Cunha also reflected on an emotional senior international debut, telling TF1: “Making my debut, it is a big deal, very emotional.”
Those comments reflected the significance of a match in which Zidane was able to introduce inexperienced players without sacrificing the result.
France’s squad depth gives Zidane options
Zidane succeeded Didier Deschamps following the 2026 World Cup and inherited a squad containing established internationals alongside a substantial group of emerging players. His opening Nations League selections have already provided opportunities for several previously uncapped players.
The France Belgium win therefore carried significance beyond three group points. France secured an away victory despite Mbappé’s absence and extensive rotation, while players competing for longer-term roles were tested against a Belgian side that had opened its campaign by defeating Italy 2-0.
France prepare for Italy at Stade de France
France’s next confirmed Nations League fixture is against Italy at the Stade de France on Friday, 2 October. Belgium will host Türkiye on the same day.
Zidane’s side will then face Belgium again in France on 5 October before the Nations League campaign resumes in November. The coming matches will provide further opportunities for the new coach to assess how extensively he can rotate a squad that has already delivered two victories at the beginning of his tenure.
