France and Belgium Face Early Nations League Test Without Mbappé and Courtois

For Mark van Bommel’s high-intensity rebuild of the Belgian national team to actually work against elite opposition, one condition has to hold: a makeshift backline missing Thibaut Courtois must survive 90 minutes against the deepest attacking roster in international football. On Monday night at the King Baudouin Stadium, that condition gets its first true stress test.[5]

Both squads arrive in Brussels carrying maximum points from their opening 2026-27 UEFA Nations League fixtures. Belgium traveled to Rome on Friday and dismantled Italy 2-0, while France ground out a 1-0 result against Türkiye in Kocaeli. Now, the two European heavyweights collide in League A, Group A1, with the winner positioned to take absolute control of the group.[1][3]

The fixture marks the first major head-to-head clash for two managers still installing their blueprints. Zinedine Zidane took the French job following Didier Deschamps' post-World Cup exit, while former AC Milan midfielder Van Bommel stepped in to replace Rudi Garcia for Belgium. Both secured debut wins, but Monday requires immediate tactical surgery due to massive roster holes.[1][5]

France will step onto the pitch without their captain and all-time leading scorer. Kylian Mbappé buried the decisive 54th-minute goal against Türkiye before hyperextending his left knee. He has already returned to Real Madrid for treatment, stripping Zidane of the forward who has historically tormented the Belgians, logging five goals in this specific modern rivalry.[3][5]

Yet, the terrifying reality for Belgium is that France's attacking depth barely registers the drop-off. Zidane can simply shuffle his deck, handing the captain's armband to Ousmane Dembélé while deploying a rotating cast of Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, and Désiré Doué. 'There will be changes. How many? You'll see tomorrow,' Zidane told the press on Sunday. 'We knew we'd have four matches in such a short time, so we're going to rotate the squad a little. The most important thing is to get to know each other.'[3]

The numbers back up France's resilience. Les Bleus have lost just twice in their last 21 matches played without Mbappé, and remain unbeaten in his absence since a 1-0 friendly loss to Germany in 2023. When these two sides met in the 2024 Nations League cycle, Mbappé also sat out—and France still walked away with a 2-1 victory courtesy of a Randal Kolo Muani brace.[1]

Belgium faces an equally glaring vacancy between the posts. Thibaut Courtois is sitting out the September window following a mutual agreement with Van Bommel, leaving the net to 24-year-old Senne Lammens. The young keeper proved his mettle against Italy, recording six saves to secure a clean sheet at the Stadio Olimpico, but facing the French frontline is an entirely different tactical proposition.[3][5]

Van Bommel's system relies heavily on quick transitions, a sharp pivot from the possession-heavy setups of previous Belgian regimes. Against Italy, the mechanism ran through Kevin De Bruyne, who fed a frontline featuring Mika Godts and Dodi Lukébakio—both of whom found the back of the net. They will need that exact ruthless efficiency to keep pace with France.[4][5]

Belgian defender Timothy Castagne acknowledged the shifting dynamics but insisted the game plan remains rigid. 'The fact Mbappé is not there changes something, but when you see who can replace him you also realise that it will not take much away from the strength of the French team,' Castagne said. 'Defensively, nothing changes for us. We are not going to defend differently because Mbappé is not there.'

Recent history offers little comfort for the hosts. France has won the last five competitive meetings between the two nations, including a tight 1-0 victory in the round of 16 at Euro 2024. You have to scroll all the way back to a 4-3 friendly in 2015 to find the last time Belgium toppled Les Bleus.[1][2]

With both teams slated to meet again in Paris on October 5, Monday's 90 minutes in Brussels serve as the definitive baseline for the group. Whoever dictates the tempo tonight takes the driver's seat in Group A1, and proves whose rebuild is further along the curve.[1][3]