Hendra Wijaya
France will be without their captain and all-time leading scorer Kylian Mbappe when they travel to face Belgium in a UEFA Nations League Group A1 fixture on Monday, with the Real Madrid forward sidelined by a knee problem picked up during his country's opening victory.
Mbappe, who had handed France the ideal start to their 2026-27 campaign by scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Turkiye, is expected to miss roughly two weeks of action, meaning he will sit out not only the Belgium trip but also the fixtures that follow. His absence removes the most reliable source of goals from Zinedine Zidane's squad, but the French camp remains confident that the depth of attacking talent available can compensate.
The match at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels kicks off at 7:45pm local time, or 18:45 GMT. Al Jazeera Sport is providing full build-up and live updates beginning at 15:45 GMT, giving supporters in the region and beyond uninterrupted coverage of one of the marquee fixtures in the competition's league phase.
Replacing Mbappe's output will fall largely to a trio of young forwards who have started the season in prolific form at club level. Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue are all expected to carry the attacking burden against a Belgian defence that kept a clean sheet in its own opening match. Olise in particular arrives in outstanding condition, having been named man of the match against Turkiye and having registered eight goals and four assists in just seven appearances for Bayern Munich across all competitions this season.
France's creative department also includes Rayan Cherki, who has quietly assembled strong numbers of his own at Manchester City with four goals and two assists. With such options available, Zidane may feel comfortable shuffling his front line even without the man who has so often decided matches for France over the past decade. The coach has already signalled his intention to rotate, noting that four games in a short window make squad management essential, and that the primary objective of this international block is for players and staff to grow more familiar with one another.
Belgium, meanwhile, enter the contest on a high after a commanding 2-0 victory away to Italy in Rome, a result that deepened the sense of crisis around the Italian national team as it embarks on another rebuilding cycle. The Belgians are unbeaten in their last four outings, with their only recent defeat coming earlier in that sequence, and they will view a home match against a Mbappe-less France as a genuine opportunity to take control of the group.
Much of Belgium's threat flows through Kevin De Bruyne, the veteran midfielder who produced an assist and a man-of-the-match display in the win over Italy. De Bruyne's ability to dictate tempo and pick out runners from deep remains among the most dangerous weapons in European football, and France's makeshift midfield will need to find a way to limit his time and space in possession. He is not Belgium's only concern for opposing defences, however. Diego Moreira has been in scorching form on the left wing for AC Milan, scoring three goals in as many league games, and his direct running could trouble France's full-backs.
Monday's fixture is notable not only for the players on the pitch but for the men on the touchline, as both teams are under new management. Mark van Bommel, the former Netherlands international, has taken charge of Belgium, while Zidane, a World Cup-winning midfielder for France in 1998, has returned to coaching with the national team. The two will meet as opposing coaches for the first time, though they crossed paths as players when Van Bommel turned out for Barcelona against Zidane's Real Madrid. Van Bommel acknowledged the uniqueness of the occasion, praising Zidane as an exceptional footballer and a fine coach, and joking that having a dribbling move named after you is a sure sign of greatness.
History offers little comfort to either side in a rivalry that has been remarkably balanced over the decades. The two nations have met 78 times, with Belgium winning 30 and France 29, while 19 matches have ended level. Their most recent encounter came in a Nations League group game in October 2024, when a double from Randal Kolo Muani gave France a 2-1 victory. That result, combined with France's superior recent form, means the visitors will travel with confidence despite their injury concerns.
Recent form guides are mixed in a way that adds intrigue to the contest. Belgium have won four of their last five matches, losing once, while France have won three of five with two defeats. Both sides, however, began this Nations League campaign with victories, leaving them level on points and aware that a win in Brussels would provide an early advantage in the race to top Group A1.
The wider context of the fixture is the Nations League itself, a competition founded in 2018 with the aim of replacing meaningless friendlies with competitive matches against similarly ranked opponents. The tournament divides European nations into leagues with promotion and relegation at stake, giving smaller federations meaningful fixtures and giving larger ones a competitive edge in a crowded calendar. For France and Belgium, both rebuilding in different ways, it also offers a low-risk environment in which new coaches can experiment.
Team news is complicated for both managers. Belgium will be without winger Leandro Trossard, who is nursing a heel injury, and goalkeeper Mike Penders, who has a muscle problem. Their probable lineup features Senne Lammens in goal, a back four of Timothy Castagne, Nathan Ngoy, Brandon Mechele and Maxim De Cuyper, with Nicolas Raskin shielding the defence. Dodi Lukebakio, De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans and Moreira are expected to support lone striker Charles De Ketelaere.
France's absentees extend beyond Mbappe. Central midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery is out with a thigh injury, and defensive midfielder Matteo Guendouzi is suspended. A likely French XI sees Mike Maignan in goal behind Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, Maxence Lacroix and Andy Diouf, with Cherki, Manu Kone and Adrien Rabiot across the middle and the front three of Olise, Doue and Dembele charged with finding the net.
For France, the match represents a test of whether their attacking depth can function without their talisman. For Belgium, it is a chance to demonstrate that the win in Rome was the start of something meaningful under Van Bommel rather than a one-off. With both sides eager to build momentum and both coaches still learning about their squads, the outcome could shape the tone of the entire group stage.
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