Belgium vs France – News and Probable Lineups

França will aim to extend their winning streak under Zinedine Zidane as they prepare to take on Bélgica at Stade Roi Baudouin in their UEFA Nations League A clash on Monday.

Les Bleus are looking to build on their successful start, whereas the Red Devils are eager to follow their first win under new head coach Mark van Bommel.

Match overview

Bélgica enters this international window following their quarter-final exit at the 2026 World Cup, but supporters will be hopeful that the triumph in Van Bommel’s inaugural match as head coach has set them on a course for success at Euro 2028.

The Red Devils secured a 2-0 victory over Itália last Friday, thanks to a first-half goal from Mika Godts and a second-half contribution from Dodi Lukebakio.

Regardless of the outcome, that win marked the first time in five matches that Bélgica achieved a clean sheet, which is an encouraging sign ahead of Monday’s encounter against França, known for their formidable attacking capabilities.

Van Bommel will be making his debut at home as head coach, and given the caliber of the opposition, he will rely on the Red Devils’ strong home record, which includes an unbeaten streak of nine games with six victories leading up to this fixture.

However, while Bélgica has not suffered a loss at home since November 2024, they have faced defeats in their last five encounters with França, a trend stretching back to June 2015.

França enjoyed great success with their former manager Didier Deschamps, and while Zidane, his successor, possesses an impressive trophy case, following in the footsteps of the previous head coach presents a significant challenge.

Les Blues went head-to-head with Turquia on Friday, when a solitary goal from Kylian Mbappe was sufficient to clinch all three points in a tightly contested 1-0 away win.

While Zidane will be relieved to start with a win in his first match, it would be fair to note that it was not a commanding performance by França, who held 64% possession yet registered only 1.17 expected goals – lower than Turquia’s 1.21 xG.

To compound matters, Mbappe sustained a knee injury shortly after netting the decisive goal and will be unavailable for at least several weeks.

This leaves França without their most potent attacker on Monday, but considering they have won eight out of their last nine away matches, fans will remain hopeful about Les Bleus’ prospects.

Team News

Bélgica will miss versatile forward Leandro Trossard, who is recovering from a heel injury, though Mika Godts should be fit to start on the left side of a three-man unit featuring Kevin De Bruyne and Diego Moreira supporting striker Charles De Ketelaere.

On the defensive end, Nathan Ngoy is expected to pair with Brandon Mechele in central defense, with full-backs Timothy Castagne and Maxim De Cuyper on the flanks.

In terms of squad news for França, they will be without their key player Kylian Mbappe after his early exit due to a knee injury against Turquia.

In his absence, Ousmane Dembele is anticipated to take on a central forward position, with support coming from the flanks provided by Michael Olise and Desire Doue.

Manu Kone is likely to feature at the base of midfield alongside Adrien Rabiot, while Rayan Cherki from Manchester City is set to adopt a more creative role further up the pitch.

Bélgica probable starting XI:

Lammens; Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper; Raskin, Tielemans; Moreira, De Bruyne, Godts; De Ketelaere

França probable starting XI:

Cousins; Kounde, Upamecano, Lacroix, Truffert; Cherki, Kone, Rabiot; Olise, Dembele, God

Bélgica had an impressive start under Van Bommel in their most recent match and will be looking to stay competitive on Monday.

Nevertheless, França boasts a strong track record against the Red Devils, and their attacking capabilities – even without Mbappe – may enable them to secure a narrow victory.