Belgium vs France – Nations League: Team line-ups, head-to-head, Mbappe

Who: Belgium vs France
What: UEFA Nations League 2026-27, Group A1 match
Where: King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium
When: Monday, September 28, astatine 7:45pm (18:45 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport volition bring you each the build-up and unrecorded updates from 15:45 GMT

Captain Kylian Mbappe did his portion by giving France the winning commencement they aimed for successful the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League, but a genu wounded volition support him retired of enactment erstwhile the two-time satellite champions look Belgium connected Monday.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Manchester City assured they tin beryllium ‘innocence’ implicit charges: Chairman
• list 2 of 4‘Heroic decision’: Ireland’s Bazunu hailed for Israel lucifer withdrawal
• list 3 of 4Virat Kohli says helium volition discontinue from India cricket aft 2027 World Cup
• list 4 of 4Virat Kohli passes 15,000 ODI runs arsenic India bushed West Indies

Mbappe’s aboriginal second-half onslaught successful France’s 1-0 triumph implicit Turkiye successful the opening lucifer was marred by his injury, and the country’s starring scorer volition beryllium retired of enactment for 2 weeks.

The visitors person nary shortage of endowment and goal-scoring skills, though, arsenic the talented trio of Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue volition instrumentality work successful beforehand of extremity connected lucifer time 2 of the competition.

Their neighbours, Belgium, bolstered by the experienced Kevin De Bruyne, besides made a winning commencement by beating Italy 2-0 successful Rome and volition nary uncertainty airs a pugnacious situation for the French visitors.

Interestingly, Monday’s contention volition spot caller coaches successful the blistery seat, with erstwhile Dutch planetary Mark van Bommel taking implicit the reins astatine Belgium and the legendary Zinedine Zidane, a erstwhile France midfielder, returning to the coaching job.

What is the UEFA Nations League?

The UEFA Nations League was founded successful 2018 to trim the fig of meaningless friendlies and springiness nations competitory matches against top-ranked teams.

In this competition, countries from crossed Europe enactment successful a league structure, which features promotion and relegation.

When did Belgium and France past meet?

They past met successful a Nations League radical brushwood successful October 2024, with Randal Kolo Muani’s treble giving France a 2-1 triumph implicit Belgium.

Belgium vs France: Head-to-head

• Matches: 78
• Belgium wins: 30
• France wins: 29
• Draws: 19

Belgium vs France: Form guide

(Last 5 games, latest results first)

Belgium: W-L-W-W-W

France: W-W-L-L-W

Who are the apical players to watch?

De Bruyne and Diego Moreira (Belgium): Veteran De Bruyne, known for pulling the strings successful midfield, grabbed the limelight successful the past crippled with his assistance and man-of-the-match performance. Fans should besides ticker retired for Diego Moreira connected the near helping pursuing his 3 goals successful arsenic galore league games for AC Milan this term.

Michael Olise is simply a prima beingness successful France’s onslaught [Umit Bektas/Reuters]

Olise and Rayan Cherki (France): Winger Olise was the antheral of the lucifer past clip retired and has made a flying commencement astatine Bayern Munich this play with 8 goals and 4 assists successful 7 matches crossed each competitions. Furthermore, Rayan Cherki has besides recovered the nett for his club, Manchester City, bagging 4 goals and 2 assists.

What person the coaches said?

Zinedine Zidane (France): “There volition beryllium changes. How many? You’ll see. We knew we’d person 4 matches successful specified a abbreviated time, truthful we’re going to rotate the squad a little. The astir important happening is to get to cognize each other.”

Mark van Bommel (Belgium): “It is peculiar to manager against idiosyncratic similar that. He [Zidane] was an exceptional footballer, and I played against him once, with Barcelona against Real Madrid. If a dribbling determination is named aft you, past you indispensable person done beauteous well. He is simply a bully manager too; that’s clear.”

Team quality and predicted lineup

Belgium

They person 2 injuries successful the squad – winger Leandro Trossard has a bottommost wounded and goalkeeper Mike Penders has a musculus issue.

Probable Belgium XI: Senne Lammens; Timothy Castagne, Nathan Ngoy, Brandon Mechele, Maxim De Cuyper; Nicolas Raskin; Dodi Lukebakio, Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans, Diego Moreira; Charles De Ketelaere

France

Mbappe is the highest-profile planetary missing from the squad for Monday’s game, with the Real Madrid striker sidelined with a genu wounded until mid-October. Central midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery is besides retired with a thigh injury, portion antiaircraft midfielder Matteo Guendouzi is suspended.

Probable France XI: Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, Maxence Lacroix, Andy Diouf; Rayan Cherki, Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise, Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele

France manager Zinedine Zidane was a 1998 World Cup victor with the squad arsenic a subordinate [File: Murad Sezer/Reuters]

Belgium vs France: TV channel, livestreaming

• Belgium: VTM GO
• France: la chaine L’Equipe, TF1+
• United Kingdom: Prime Video UK
• United States: FOX Sports, FuboTV, ViX
• India: Sony Sports Network
• Middle East and North Africa: beIN SPORTS
• South Africa: DStv Stream

You tin find your determination broadcaster connected UEFA’s authoritative broadcaster listing.