Michael Olise scored a stunning late goal as France defeated Belgium 1-0 on Monday night in Brussels, marking Zinedine Zidane’s second win as head coach.
Substitutes Olise and Ryan Cherki came on in the 77th minute, replacing Bradley Barcola and Magnes Akliouche. With just two minutes of regulation left, Olise made an impact on his 28th cap. He gathered the ball in his own half, sped past defender Maxime De Cuyper, tricked Brandon Mechele, and confidently slotted the ball past goalkeeper Senne Lammens. This was the 24-year-old’s first goal for France in nine appearances.
Zidane celebrated by launching a ball into the stands as his players surrounded Olise. Despite Belgium’s late push for an equaliser, France held firm, taking control of their Nations League group.
Missing injured captain Kylian Mbappé, Zidane chose a bold lineup, retaining only goalkeeper Mike Maignan and defender Maxence Lacroix from the team that beat Turkey 1-0 earlier. New faces included defenders Andy Diouf, Jeremy Jacquet, Pierre Kalulu, and midfield debutant Lucas Da Cunha.
After a bright start from Belgium, France gained dominance in possession, with Désiré Doué hitting the crossbar early on and Akliouche testing Lammens from a free kick. Belgium, under new coach Mark van Bommel, threatened only sporadically. Kevin De Bruyne came close in the second half, while Dodi Lukébakio forced Maignan into action shortly after Olise’s goal.
Post-match, Zidane praised Olise and the team’s performance. “I knew he was going to score,” he shared. “We were very good in every area, especially our pressing.”
In another League A Group 1 match, Italy bounced back from their defeat against Belgium, triumphing 4-1 over Turkey in Bursa. Alessandro Bastoni, Davide Frattesi, and Michael Kayode scored, with Francesco Pio Esposito extending Italy’s lead after Turkey had pulled one back.
France now leads Group 1 with six points from two matches, while Belgium and Italy have three points each and Turkey remains at the bottom with none. Zidane’s first home game is against Italy at the Stade de France on Friday, followed by a rematch against Belgium on 5 October. The top two teams from the group will advance to the knockout stage next March, with the semi-finals scheduled for June 2027.
