Written with the help of artificial-intelligence tools and checked by automated controls.
Belgium host France on Monday, September 28 at 20h45 at the King Baudouin Stadium, and the fixture goes far beyond the time slot of an evening in the Nations League. For Les Bleus, the trip to Brussels comes at the start of a packed campaign. For the Red Devils, it looks above all like Mark van Bommel’s first public examination at home. The Dutch coach arrives with a mission that is simple to write down, less simple to carry out: relaunch a Belgian team caught between a golden legacy, absent senior players and new faces.
A clash of schedules, not a disguised friendly
Belgium-France remains a fixture that carries weight, even when it does not immediately award a trophy.
Belgium-France remains a fixture that carries weight, even when it does not immediately award a trophy. Recent years have established a modern rivalry: a World Cup semi-final, closely fought encounters, and the persistent impression that the two national teams always meet when one is trying to gauge its ceiling.
The September 28 match comes in the group stage of the Nations League. TF1 has confirmed free-to-air coverage, and the French Football Federation lists the fixture in Brussels, at the King Baudouin Stadium. On the Belgian side, the Red Devils’ official schedule structures the week around the trip to Italy, followed by hosting France. In other words, Van Bommel has no right to a gradual introduction: he immediately faces a sequence that will say a great deal about the energy of his group.
Van Bommel opens a new Belgian chapter
Appointed after Rudi Garcia’s departure, Van Bommel has signed a two-year contract with Belgium. His profile is intriguing: a former combative midfielder and a coach with a strong temperament, he inherits a national team that can no longer live solely on the instincts of its previous generation. The Belgian squad still has talent, but it must rediscover a clear structure and a sense of momentum.
The first squad list has already set the tone, with new faces and several major absences. Mika Godts, called up among the Red Devils, embodies this desire to open the door to younger, more mobile profiles. It is not yet a complete revolution, more a restart. Against France, the question will be concrete: can Belgium press, defend and play the ball out with enough coherence to prevent the match from becoming nothing more than a long resistance?
Courtois’ shadow changes the balance
The Thibaut Courtois situation inevitably hangs over this gathering. The Real Madrid goalkeeper confirmed that he would not play in this Nations League window with Belgium, after discussions with the new coach. Van Bommel publicly explained that the decision had been made together, while also stressing that he had other quality goalkeepers available.
On the pitch, his absence is immense. Courtois is not merely a reflex save on the line: he calms a defense, extends the play and protects the team during difficult spells. Without him, Belgium will have to compensate collectively. It could also accelerate a useful clarification. A national team seeking to rebuild cannot suspend everything around a single senior player, however great he may be.
Les Bleus as an immediate benchmark
For France, this away trip offers a test against an opponent searching for its bearings. For Belgium, it will show whether the opening message is already translating into organization. Van Bommel does not need to solve everything in one evening, but he must provide signs: a disciplined defensive line, a midfield capable of avoiding being overwhelmed in waves, and forwards supplied by something more than hope.
Brussels will not judge only the result. It will look at the attitude, the choices and the ability to remain standing if France monopolizes the ball. A coach’s first real home match always creates a small truth. Van Bommel’s will begin on Monday evening, under a distinctly French spotlight and with a Belgium that no longer really has time to keep playing rough drafts.