Belgium vs France Prediction & Betting Tips (28 September)

Belgium host France at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on Monday, 28 September 2026 (kick-off 20:45 CET) in a mouth-watering UEFA Nations League 2026/27 Group A1 clash between two of Europe's heavyweights. Both nations begin a new era on the bench, with Mark van Bommel taking charge of Belgium for the first time and Zinédine Zidane returning to management to lead Les Bleus. History heavily favours the visitors: France have won the last five meetings between the sides, including 2-0 and 2-1 victories in the most recent Nations League edition, while Belgium have not beaten France in a competitive fixture since a 2-0 win in 1982 World Cup qualifying. The Red Devils arrive in mixed form after their World Cup run ended with a 1 - 2 quarter-final defeat to Spain, though they did impress earlier in the tournament with a 4 - 1 win over the USA in the round of 16.

France, for their part, are looking to bounce back from a painful World Cup campaign that saw them fall to Spain in the semi-finals before losing the third-place play-off to England by a remarkable 4 - 6 scoreline, and a 0 - 2 defeat to the eventual champions in the last four. Zidane has already stamped his authority on the 2026/27 squad, leaving out 11 players from the World Cup run: William Saliba, Marcus Thuram and Jean-Philippe Mateta are all sidelined with fitness issues, Aurélien Tchouaméni has been omitted as a precaution, and N'Golo Kanté has retired from international duty. Even so, Les Bleus remain stacked with talent, with Mike Maignan in goal, Ibrahima Konaté, Jules Koundé and Dayot Upamecano at the back, Eduardo Camavinga and Adrien Rabiot in midfield, and a frightening attack led by Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise.

Belgium's 2026/27 squad under Van Bommel blends experience with fresh faces and features six Serie A players, including Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli), Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta) and Arthur Theate (Bologna), alongside Premier League names such as Youri Tielemans (Manchester United), Senne Lammens (Manchester United) and Romeo Lavia (Chelsea), with Romelu Lukaku, Lois Openda, Leandro Trossard and Dodi Lukebakio providing the firepower up front. In the European odds market, France are the clear favourites at around 2.05 to win in Brussels, the draw is priced at roughly 3.40, and a home victory for Belgium is available at approximately 3.60 — prices that reflect Les Bleus' recent dominance in this fixture, even if both teams are adjusting to new coaches.

Taking everything into account — France's five-game winning streak in this rivalry, their superior individual quality in the final third, and Belgium's transitional period under a brand-new manager — we expect Les Bleus to edge a tight, high-quality contest in the Belgian capital. The Red Devils have enough creativity through De Bruyne and De Ketelaere to find the net at home, but Mbappé and company should prove too clinical on the night. Our prediction: Belgium 1 : 2 Fra