Belgium, who finished no higher than fourth in the 2020-2021 Nations League, entered the current international break with mixed results—a 3-1 victory over Israel and a 2-0 loss to France in the group stage.
On Thursday, the Red Devils faced Italy with hopes of improving their position and boosting their chances in the rankings. On Monday, they will meet France again, the team that eliminated them from the last Euro in the round of 16 with a 1-0 defeat.
While Belgium is not as dominant as they were in the past decade, their aim remains to reach the Final Four of this Nations League. More importantly, they will fight to avoid finishing last in their group and being relegated. Two more matches remain in November to close the group stage.
France, meanwhile, built on their recent success by defeating Belgium 2-0 in September as they prepared for this October window. They looked to continue their strong form on Thursday against Israel, considered the weakest team in the group, aiming for three wins against Belgium in their most recent encounters.
Didier Deschamps’ squad also had a bittersweet Euro 2024 campaign, where they were eliminated by Spain in the semifinals, losing 2-1. Despite the criticism of their tactics, France’s goal is to repeat their 2020-2021 Nations League success, which they won after reaching the Final Four.
Belgium’s golden generation is coming to an end, with players like Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku stepping away from their football or national careers. Lukaku, who now plays for Napoli and has scored 85 goals in 119 appearances, was not called up by Domenico Tedesco after Euro 2024.
Other notable absentees include full-back Thomas Meunier (Lille, 67 caps), central defender Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht, 157 caps), who retired from international football after the Euros, and playmaker Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, 30 goals in 107 caps), sidelined by injury.
Midfielder Amadou Onana (Aston Villa, 19 caps) was called up but had to withdraw. However, players like defenders Wout Faes (Leicester, 21 caps) and Arthur Theate (Frankfurt, 20 caps), midfielder Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa, 72 caps), forward Leandro Trossard (Arsenal, 9 goals in 37 caps), and newcomer Malick Fofana from Olympique Lyonnais are all present.
France, too, faces significant changes. Antoine Griezmann (Atlético de Madrid, 44 goals in 137 caps) has retired from international duty, while Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid, 48 goals in 86 caps) is not part of this squad due to injury. Olivier Giroud also stepped down from international football after the Euros.
For this October window, N’Golo Kanté (Al-Ittihad, 63 caps) is being rested due to a physical issue, and central defender Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich, 27 caps) had to withdraw due to injury, with Loïc Badé (Sevilla FC) receiving his first call-up. Adrien Rabiot (48 caps) and Benjamin Pavard (Inter, 54 caps) were not selected for this squad.
Key players who are present include goalkeeper Mike Maignan (AC Milan, 24 caps), defender Jules Koundé (Barcelona, 36 caps), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan, 34 caps), and Ousmane Dembélé (PSG, 6 goals in 51 caps). Newcomers Koné (AS Roma, 2 caps) and Michael Olise (Bayern, 2 caps) have been brought into the team, while Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea, 10 caps) fills the void left by Mbappé.
Prediction
Belgium’s struggles have surprised many, as they now find themselves fighting relegation after suffering 10 defeats in their last 11 games, with just one home win all season. On the other hand, France, chasing the title, has won seven of their last 10 UEFA Nations League matches.
Prediction: Belgium 0-1 France.
