France vs Belgium: Nations League Preview, Predictions, and Lineups
Belgium travels south to Saint-Denis for its 80th encounter with neighboring France in the UEFA Nations League. The last meeting saw Les Bleus narrowly winning 1-0 in Brussels.
France currently leads Group 1 of League A unbeaten under new coach Zinédine Zidane, who started his reign with a 1-0 win over Türkiye followed by the victory against Belgium and a 1-1 home draw with Italy. Meanwhile, Belgium sits just a point behind, having shown promise under Mark van Bommel despite a recent narrow defeat to France. Their solid wins over Italy and Türkiye have reinvigorated the team after a difficult World Cup campaign.
This fixture marks their 80th meeting since their first draw 3-3 in Brussels back in 1904. Today's contest looks to be less dramatic but fiercely competitive.
Match Prediction: France Expected to Edge Belgium
France’s last victory was secured thanks to Michael Olise’s late goal, though they dominated many match stats including expected goals and shots on target, hitting the woodwork twice. They look stronger overall.
Belgium faces a tough challenge without suspended key midfielders Youri Tielemans and Kevin De Bruyne. De Bruyne, who leads the team with three goal involvements in this Nations League, will be sorely missed. This absence leaves a significant gap in Belgium’s midfield creativity.
France has kept two clean sheets so far in this international break and might aim for a third against a weakened opponent.
- Head-to-head: France has won the last six matches against Belgium in all competitions, while Belgium's only win in the past ten encounters was a thrilling 4-3 victory at Stade de France.
- Missing players: Belgium’s loss of Tielemans and De Bruyne hurts their midfield strength significantly.
- Zidane’s approach: France has taken a steady and methodical path under Zidane, relying on structure rather than flashy plays.
Prediction: France 2–0 Belgium
Projected Lineup for France
France must adjust after Dayot Upamecano's suspension due to a red card against Italy. Jérémy Jacquet is likely to partner Maxence Lacroix in central defense. Pierre Kalulu has been preferred at right back over Jules Koundé recently, while Adrien Truffert is expected to keep his place on the left.
Eduardo Camavinga may replace Lucas Da Cunha in midfield. The attacking trio is predicted to remain unchanged with Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise leading the offense. Kylian Mbappé remains out due to injury sustained in the match against Türkiye.
- France (4-3-3): Maignan; Kalulu, Jacquet, Lacroix, Truffert; Cherki, Camavinga, Rabiot; Olise, Dembélé, Doué
Projected Lineup for Belgium
Belgium’s midfield struggles continue with the suspensions of Tielemans and De Bruyne. Roméo Lavia and Nicolas Raskin are expected to fill those gaps alongside Hans Vanaken in midfield.
The forward line will include Charles De Ketelaere and Mika Godts, with a competition between Dodi Lukébakio and Diego Moreira for the right-wing spot. In goal, Lammens starts as Thibaut Courtois has opted out of the Nations League despite being fit.
The defense is set to feature Maxim De Cuyper returning alongside Timothy Castagne, Nathan Ngoy, and Brandon Mechele.
- Belgium (4-3-3): Lammens; Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper; Raskin, Lavia, Vanaken; Lukébakio, De Ketelaere, Godts
Match Details
- Location: Saint-Denis, France
- Stadium: Stade de France
- Date: Monday, October 6
- Kick-off Time: 2:45 p.m. ET / 11:45 a.m. PT / 7:45 p.m. BST
- Referee: Nicholas Walsh (Scotland)
- VAR: Andrew Dallas (Scotland)
Broadcast Information
- United States: fuboTV, ViX
- Canada: DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada
- Mexico: Sky Sports Mexico, Sky+, izzi
- United Kingdom: Amazon Prime Video
For a full list of broadcasters worldwide, see official UEFA Nations League sources.
