Nations League: Olise's Late Winner Keeps France Perfect

Michael Olise scored in the 88th minute to give France a 1-0 Nations League win over Belgium on September 28, 2026, at the Stade Roi Baudouin in Brussels, keeping France perfect in the Nations League. The substitute collected the ball inside his own half, drove at the Belgian defence, and curled a low finish into the corner with two minutes of regulation time left.

The numbers tell a story of one-way traffic that took far too long to produce a goal. France controlled 65 percent of possession and took 18 shots, seven of them on target, while Belgium did not register a shot on target until the 73rd minute, according to match reporting. The win was France's second from two games in this Nations League campaign under Zinedine Zidane, who succeeded Didier Deschamps after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and it extended France's winning run in this fixture to six matches. Belgium's six-match unbeaten run at home came to an end.

Olise's strike came after a string of missed chances in a Nations League match France dominated from the opening exchanges. Desire Doue hit the crossbar in the 12th minute after working his way into the Belgian box, and debutant midfielder Lucas Da Cunha struck the post with a long-range effort. Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens kept the visitors out repeatedly, saving Maghnes Akliouche's free kick and Esteban Lepaul's follow-up before Romeo Lavia cleared Pierre Kalulu's effort off the line, and Youri Tielemans blocked another Akliouche attempt in the second half. The game had started after a brief delay with both teams held in the tunnel, and the hosts opened with Brandon Mechele seeing a header blocked inside two minutes.

Belgium threatened in patches. Kevin De Bruyne tried an audacious effort from near the halfway line, and substitute Dodi Lukebakio twice forced France goalkeeper Mike Maignan into action in the 73rd minute. Maignan stood firm for the clean sheet, holding Belgium to an expected goals figure of just 0.74.

The goal set off a memorable touchline scene. Zidane sprinted down the side of the pitch and swung a boot at a loose ball after Olise's shot went in, then told TF1 afterward that he "was totally into it" and had followed the dribble expecting a goal. Olise now has 13 goal involvements in 14 appearances for France, four goals and nine assists, reported by SoccerNews.

Zidane's nine changes still deliver

Zidane made nine changes to the team that beat Türkiye in the opener, with Kylian Mbappe sidelined by a knee injury and Ousmane Dembele and Rayan Cherki among those starting on the bench. Cherki came on to supply the pass that released Olise for the winner.

Three players started their first match for France — Andy Diouf, Jeremy Jacquet and Lucas Da Cunha — the first time three debutants have started a France game since August 2010, reported by 7msport. Doue was one of the outstanding performers despite his missed chances, finishing with five shots, five successful dribbles and four chances created.

Zidane said afterward that he believes in his players and in the quality of the group, according to match reports. The victory leaves France top of Group A1 with six points from two Nations League games, three clear of the pack according to the national team's official account. France's next matches are on October 2 against Italy and October 5 against Belgium.

Italy hits back in the Nations League with four goals in Bursa

Italy's 4-1 win over Türkiye was the night's other statement result. Alessandro Bastoni opened the scoring in Bursa before Davide Frattesi and Michael Kayode made it three before the interval. Türkiye pulled one back after half-time, but Pio Esposito restored the three-goal cushion, according to SABC Sport.

It was exactly the response Roberto Mancini needed after a poor start to his second spell in charge. Italy opened the campaign with a two-goal home defeat to Belgium that left the Azzurri under early pressure. The win in Türkiye was the team's most convincing performance of the season and brought Italy its first points of the Nations League campaign.

The result also set up the group showdown: France travels to Italy on October 2 with both teams now within striking distance of each other at the top of Group A1, in the most consequential Nations League tie of the October window.

A busy night across the leagues

Montenegro edged Armenia 3-2 in a five-goal thriller in League C, with Aleksa Latković striking in the closing stages to move Montenegro top of the group after two matches. Sweden beat Poland 3-1, and Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Romania 4-2. There were three goalless draws: Georgia with Ukraine, Latvia with Cyprus, and Northern Ireland with Hungary.

For France, the takeaway is simple enough. A heavily rotated squad with three debutants went to Brussels, controlled the game from start to finish, and left with another win and another clean sheet. Italy's revival means October's Nations League meeting between the two will carry genuine weight at the top of Group A1.

Elsewhere in the Nations League, the picture is still forming: Montenegro sits top of its League C group after two matches, while France's six points make it the team to beat in Group A1. The next round of Nations League fixtures begins on October 2, when France faces Italy and the knockout picture starts to take shape.

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