Belgium vs France – Nations League: Team line-ups, head-to-head, Mbappe

What the report says

France travel to Brussels to face Belgium in a UEFA Nations League Group A1 match on Monday at King Baudouin Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 7:45pm local time. Al Jazeera reports that France will be without captain Kylian Mbappe, who is sidelined by a knee injury, along with Warren Zaire-Emery and suspended midfielder Matteo Guendouzi. Belgium also have injury absences, including Leandro Trossard and goalkeeper Mike Penders.

The article says France opened the campaign with a 1-0 win over Turkiye, helped by Mbappe’s goal before he was forced off, while Belgium began with a 2-0 victory over Italy. France are expected to lean on a younger attacking group featuring Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue, while Belgium will look to Kevin De Bruyne for leadership and creativity.

The matchup also carries interest because both teams have new coaches. Former France midfielder Zinedine Zidane is back in charge of France, while Mark van Bommel has taken over Belgium. Al Jazeera notes that the sides last met in a Nations League group game in October 2024, when France won 2-1. The broader context is that the Nations League, launched in 2018, was designed to replace many friendlies with more competitive matches among European teams.