In Brussels on a Monday evening, a single moment of individual brilliance settled what collective effort could not. Michael Olise, arriving late from the bench, carried the ball from his own half and curled France into victory over Belgium — a quiet but telling statement from a team still finding its shape under Zinedine Zidane, who has now won both of his opening matches as national coach without conceding a goal.
Olise's late brilliance lifts France past Belgium in Nations League
He collected the ball inside his own half and drove forward, curling it past the goalkeeper.
Mark
So Olise came off the bench and scored the winner. That's the headline. But what does it tell us about how Zidane is setting up this team?
Mimi
He's rotating heavily—nine changes from the Turkey match—which suggests he's building depth and testing players. But he's also winning, which means the rotation isn't a sign of weakness or experimentation for its own sake. He's confident enough to leave out Mbappe and still dominate possession.
Luke
Though we should note: Mbappe was injured, not rested. That's different. And Belgium made only two changes, so they came to defend. France had the better chances all night—Doue hit the bar, Da Cunha hit the post. Olise's goal was brilliant, but it also came against a team that wasn't creating much.
Mark
What about the debuts? Da Cunha and Lepaul—are these players Zidane is building around, or just filling spots?
Mimi
Lepaul was Ligue 1's top scorer last season, so he's not a depth piece. That's a statement. Da Cunha is younger, more of a test. But the fact that Zidane is giving them minutes in Nations League matches—not friendlies, actual competitive games—suggests he's serious about integration.
Luke
Right, but we don't know yet if they'll stay in the squad or if this was a one-off. One match doesn't establish a pattern. What we can say is Zidane is willing to experiment while winning, which is rare.
Mark
And Mbappe's injury—how serious is that?
Mimi
The source says he returned to Real Madrid for treatment after injuring his left knee. That's all we know. It's not described as long-term, but it's real enough that he wasn't available for this match.
Luke
Exactly. We don't have a timeline. He could be back Friday against Italy, or he could miss several matches. That's still open.
Mark
So Zidane's first two matches have been wins, but one was without his captain and one was against a team making minimal changes. How much can we read into that?
Mimi
Two wins is two wins. The Nations League is competitive. But you're right that context matters. He hasn't faced a fully committed opponent yet. Italy on Friday will be different—they're top scorers in the group, and they're coming to the Stade de France.
Luke
That's the real test. And it's coming fast.
El Pulso
- A goalless stalemate at the King Baudouin Stadium threatened to deny France the result their possession and chances deserved.
- Olise, introduced in the 77th minute, broke the deadlock eleven minutes later with a stunning solo run from deep inside his own half — the kind of goal that renders all prior tension irrelevant.
- France fielded nine changes from their previous lineup, testing squad depth while managing the absence of an injured Kylian Mbappe, yet never lost control of the match.
- Belgium, organized under new coach Mark van Bommel, offered little going forward and were ultimately undone by one moment of individual quality they could not anticipate.
- France now leads Nations League Group A1 with six points, with a defining home fixture against Italy on Friday already looming on the horizon.
In Brussels on a Monday evening, a single moment of individual brilliance settled what collective effort could not. Michael Olise, arriving late from the bench, carried the ball from his own half and curled France into victory over Belgium — a quiet but telling statement from a team still finding its shape under Zinedine Zidane, who has now won both of his opening matches as national coach without conceding a goal.
Michael Olise had been watching from the bench when France and Belgium remained locked at 0-0 deep into Monday's Nations League match in Brussels. Introduced in the 77th minute, he needed only eleven more to decide the contest — collecting the ball inside his own half, driving the length of the pitch, and curling a shot into the bottom-left corner past goalkeeper Senne Lammens. France won 1-0, and Zinedine Zidane's record as national coach remained perfect: two matches, two wins, two clean sheets.
Zidane, who took over after the World Cup following Didier Deschamps, had already claimed a 1-0 victory away in Turkey the previous Friday. Against Belgium he rotated heavily, making nine changes and keeping only goalkeeper Mike Maignan and defender Maxence Lacroix from the starting eleven. Two players made their debuts — midfielder Lucas Da Cunha and Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul, Ligue 1's top scorer from the previous season. Captain Kylian Mbappe was absent, having returned to Real Madrid for treatment on a knee injury sustained while scoring the winner against Turkey.
France dominated without converting. Desire Doue struck the crossbar in the first half; Da Cunha hit the post early in the second. Belgium, reorganized under new coach Mark van Bommel after a 2-0 win over Italy on Friday, were compact and disciplined but offered almost nothing in attack. The match drifted toward a draw until Olise — a standout at the World Cup where France reached the semifinals — changed everything with one run.
France now sits atop Group A1 with six points. Italy, who thrashed Turkey 4-1 on Monday, and Belgium each hold three. Zidane's next test comes Friday at the Stade de France against Italy — the stadium where he built his legend as both player and coach. Belgium then visits Paris on October 5. The campaign is young, but Zidane has already made clear this will not be a tenure defined by patience or rebuilding.
Michael Olise came off the bench in the 77th minute with France and Belgium locked in a stalemate at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. Eleven minutes later, he had won the match.
The Bayern Munich winger collected the ball inside his own half and drove forward, carrying it the length of the pitch before curling a shot past goalkeeper Senne Lammens into the bottom-left corner in the 88th minute. It was the kind of goal that breaks open a tight game—one player, one moment, the entire contest decided. France won 1-0, and Zinedine Zidane extended his record as the newly appointed national coach to two victories in two matches.
Zidane had taken over the job after the World Cup, succeeding Didier Deschamps. His first assignment came last Friday in Turkey, where France won 1-0 away. This second test came in Brussels on Monday, and despite fielding a heavily rotated squad, France controlled the rhythm of play. Paris Saint-Germain's Desire Doue struck the crossbar in the first half. Lucas Da Cunha, making his debut for Como in Italy's top division, hit the post early in the second. The chances accumulated, but the breakthrough would not come until Olise's intervention.
France made nine changes to the lineup that started in Turkey, keeping only goalkeeper Mike Maignan and Chelsea defender Maxence Lacroix. The squad included two notable debuts: Da Cunha in midfield and Esteban Lepaul of Rennes in attack—Lepaul had finished as Ligue 1's leading scorer the previous season. The reshuffling was partly by design, partly by necessity. Captain Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid's striker, had returned to his club for treatment after injuring his left knee while scoring the winning goal against Turkey.
Belgium, under new coach Mark van Bommel, made only two changes from the team that had beaten Italy 2-0 on Friday. The Belgians were organized and compact, but they offered little going forward. The match drifted toward a draw until Olise's moment arrived. The London-born winger, who had been one of France's standout performers at the World Cup where the team reached the semifinals, had been watching from the bench. When he entered the field, the game shifted.
With the victory, France sits atop Nations League Group A1 with six points. Belgium and Italy each have three points, though Italy's 4-1 rout of Turkey on Monday kept them in contention. France's next fixture comes Friday at the Stade de France against Italy—Zidane's homecoming, playing in the stadium where he built his legend as a player and coach. After that, Belgium returns to Paris on October 5. The Nations League campaign is still young, but Zidane has already signaled that his tenure will not be a period of transition. Two wins, two clean sheets, and a squad being tested and rotated with clear intention.
Citas Notables
Olise came off the bench in the 77th minute and scored 11 minutes later, carrying the ball from inside his own half to the edge of the Belgian box before curling his shot into the bottom-left corner.— Match report
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