France beat Belgium 1-0 at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on Monday in their UEFA Nations League Group A match.
Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise scored the decisive goal in the 88th minute, evading three defenders before placing the ball into the net to secure victory for France.
The result marked a second straight win for head coach Zinedine Zidane, who took charge following a 1-0 victory over Turkey. France played without Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé after Zidane ruled him out of the squad because of an injury suffered against Turkey.
First half chances at King Baudouin Stadium
Belgium opened the match with high pressing from the fifth minute, putting the visitors under early pressure before France established control by retaining possession.
France controlled the tempo by the tenth minute while Belgium looked to launch rapid counter-attacks. In the 11th minute, Désiré Doué executed an individual move and struck the post with a shot.
Belgium tried to respond around the 15th minute by pressing higher without the ball and attempting long passes to catch the French defense out of position.
The match developed into an open, end-to-end contest by the 20th minute. Although neither side showed final-third precision, the crowd at the stadium witnessed an entertaining spectacle.
France appealed for a penalty in the 25th minute when Doué fell inside the box. The referee allowed play to continue until Belgium committed a foul near their area, awarding France a free kick.
One minute later, Maghnes Akliouche struck a powerful shot that forced Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens into a save to push the ball away.
The game remained balanced through the half-hour mark, with France holding slightly more possession while Belgium continued to threaten on counter-attacks.
In the 33rd minute, Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne received a blow to the face from the ball. After medical staff treated him, he was required to wait one minute off the field before returning.
Belgium created an opportunity in the 37th minute when Diego Moreira broke down the right wing and sent in a cross. The rebound reached De Bruyne, who shot off target.
Moreira received a yellow card in the 41st minute for stopping a potential French counter-attack. The first half ended 0-0 at the King Baudouin Stadium following an intense 45 minutes.
Second half drama and late winner
Both teams restarted the second half seeking an opening goal. In the 53rd minute, France midfielder Lucas Da Cunha struck a long-range shot that hit the post, saving Belgium for the second time in the match.
French goalkeeper Mike Maignan kept the match level in the 72nd minute by making a save to stop the home team from taking the lead.
Olise broke the deadlock in the 88th minute, maneuvering past three Belgian defenders in the penalty area before placing his shot into the net for the 1-0 lead.
The referee blew the final whistle at 15:43 local coverage time, confirming a 1-0 victory for France over Belgium in Brussels.
Official team lineups and tactics
France fielded goalkeeper Mike Maignan behind a defensive line of Pierre Kalulu, Jérémy Jacquet, Maxence Lacroix and Andy Diouf. Maghnes Akliouche, Eduardo Camavinga and Lucas Da Cunha played in midfield, with Désiré Doué, Esteban Lepaul and Bradley Barcola starting in attack.
Belgium lined up with goalkeeper Senne Lammens behind Timothy Castagne, Nathan Ngoy, Brandon Mechele and Joaquin Seys in defense. Youri Tielemans, Roméo Lavia and Kevin De Bruyne started in midfield, with Diego Moreira, Charles De Ketelaere and Mika Godts leading the attack.
Earlier match sheets had listed alternative potential lineups. Belgium had been projected to feature De Cuyper and Raskin, while France had been linked with starts for Koundé, Upamecano, Truffert, Cherki, Koné, Rabiot and Dembélé.
Stadium details and international broadcasting
The fixture took place at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, an arena capable of holding more than 50,000 spectators.
The match was broadcast live on Disney+ Premium. Kickoff took place at 1:45 p.m. Peruvian time, corresponding to 12:45 p.m. in Mexico and Costa Rica, 1:45 p.m. in Colombia and Ecuador, 2:45 p.m. in the United States, Bolivia and Venezuela, 3:45 p.m. in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, and 8:45 p.m. in Spain.
Pre-match betting odds
Leading sportsbooks gave France a slight advantage over Belgium ahead of kickoff. Betsson priced a Belgium win at 3.70, a draw at 3.85 and a France win at 1.90.
Betano offered odds of 3.75 for Belgium, 4.10 for a draw and 1.93 for France, while Bet365 listed Belgium at 3.70, a draw at 4.00 and France at 1.85.
1XBet had Belgium at 3.72, a draw at 4.15 and France at 1.92. Caliente set Belgium at 3.85, a draw at 4.00 and France at 1.88, while Doradobet offered 3.60 for Belgium, 4.00 for a draw and 1.90 for France.
Recent team form and match history
Belgium entered matchday two following a 2-0 victory against Italy on September 25. Their previous international fixtures included a 2-1 defeat to Spain on July 10, a 4-1 victory over the United States on July 6, a 3-2 win against Senegal on July 1, and a 5-1 win over New Zealand on June 26.
France arrived in Brussels following a 1-0 win against Turkey on September 25. Prior to that match, France recorded a 6-4 loss to England on July 18, a 2-0 defeat to Spain on July 14, a 2-0 victory over Morocco on July 9, and a 1-0 win against Paraguay on July 4.
