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In a battle featuring 2026 Ballon d'Or nominees, France continued their immaculate start to the UEFA Nations League campaign with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Belgium in Brussels. Coming into the fixture following a opening-round win against Türkiye, Les Bleus were forced to navigate the clash without captain and Ballon d'Or 2026 nominee Kylian Mbappé, who returned to Real Madrid after sustaining a left knee injury. In his absence, it was another rising star who ultimately stole the headlines.
Frustration and Woodwork in Brussels
Zidane fielded an adventurous starting XI for his second match as Les Bleus' head coach. France controlled the tempo early on, amassing 63% possession across the 90 minutes, and generated numerous chances, but spent most of the match frustrated : Désiré Doué hit the crossbar in the first half and Lucas Da Cunha rattled the post in the second half.
With a goalless stalemate looming, Rayan Cherki and Michael Olise were introduced from the bench in the 77th minute. The change proved decisive in the 88th minute when Cherki passed the ball to Olise, who embarked on a brilliant solo run from inside his own half, swept past four Belgian defenders, before curling a precise shot into the bottom corner to break the deadlock and put France 1-0 up in this tense match.
Zidane's Celebration
The late winner provided one of the images of the international window : the former Ballon d’Or winner (1998), unable to contain his excitement, sprinted down the sideline and booted a loose ball high into the air.
"I don't even know what I did. I saw the ball and thought to myself “I have to shoot it.” It's a little silly, but it doesn't matter."
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The victory keeps Zidane's perfect record intact and puts France three points clear at the top of Group A1 as they look ahead to a crucial home encounter against Italy at the Stade de France.
