Michael Olise came off the bench to produce a moment of individual brilliance as France snatched a 1-0 win over Belgium, giving Zinedine Zidane a second victory in his first two games as Les Bleus boss.
France had to wait until the 88th minute to find a breakthrough in Brussels, but when it finally came, it was worth the wait.
With the game heading towards a goalless draw, Olise collected the ball inside his own half and embarked on a stunning solo run before curling a composed finish into the bottom corner.
VICTOIRE DE NOS BLEUS EN BELGIQUE 🔥🤩
🇧🇪0-1🇫🇷 l #BELFRA pic.twitter.com/LGprWaMC42
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) September 28, 2026
It was the Bayern Munich star’s eighth international goal and completed a perfect start to Zidane’s tenure. France had already beaten Türkiye 1-0 in the Frenchman’s first game in charge.
Belgium had started brightly, with Brandon Mechele seeing an early header blocked, but France gradually took control.
Lucas Da Cunha, making his international debut, helped the visitors establish possession in midfield, while Désiré Doué was a constant threat. The winger came agonisingly close to opening the scoring when he danced into the Belgian box before seeing his effort crash against the crossbar.
Doué then created another opportunity for Esteban Lepaul, but the forward could only shoot straight at Senne Lammens.
Belgium were not without chances of their own. Kevin De Bruyne tried an audacious effort from near the halfway line, while Mika Godts also tested the French defence.
France almost broke the deadlock before half-time when Lammens saved Maghnes Akliouche’s free-kick and then denied Lepaul from the rebound. Pierre Kalulu’s follow-up was subsequently cleared off the line by Romeo Lavia.
The second half followed a similar pattern. France continued to create the better openings, with Doué curling narrowly wide before Da Cunha struck the post with a powerful effort from distance.
Belgium goalkeeper Lammens was keeping his side in the game, making several important saves as France repeatedly threatened. The hosts also had opportunities late on, particularly through Dodi Lukebakio, but Mike Maignan stood firm to keep Belgium at bay.
Introduced in the 77th minute, Olise needed only 11 minutes to change the game. He received possession inside his own half, drove through the Belgian midfield and carried the ball almost the length of the pitch before finding the bottom-left corner.
The goal was enough to give France all three points and maintain their perfect start to the Nations League campaign.
France now sit top of Group A1 with six points from two matches, while Belgium remain on three points after their opening win over Italy.
For Zidane, it is an ideal beginning. Two matches, two 1-0 victories and two clean sheets. More importantly, France have shown they can win even when their attacking stars fail to find the net.
✅ +3 points ! Nos Bleus prennent la tête de leur groupe de Ligue des Nations 🙌
Prochains rendez-vous :
2 octobre : 🆚 Italie 🇮🇹
5 octobre : 🆚 Belgique 🇧🇪Pour venir encourager l’Équipe de France au Stade de France face à la Belgique, c’est par ici 👉 https://t.co/O9CImiccXV… pic.twitter.com/dddRinKle6
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) September 28, 2026
With Italy next at the Stade de France, Zidane’s side will face a much tougher test, but Olise’s late magic has ensured they arrive with maximum points and plenty of confidence.
