Liam Duckstein
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Belgium host France in the UEFA Nations League on Monday 28 September 2026, and both predicted lineups here lean heavily on how settled each side looked in its most recent outing. Mark van Bommel’s Belgium and Zinédine Zidane’s France both fielded unchanged first-choice units last time out, giving this projection a clear starting point even before official team news is confirmed. What follows is our expected XI for each side, built from actual recent selection rather than guesswork.
Predicted Belgium Line-up
Belgium are projected in a 4-2-3-1, the shape Mark van Bommel prefers as head coach. It’s a settled side – 11 of the projected XI started their last match, though with only one recent line-up to draw on, that consistency comes from a small sample rather than a long run of form. Kevin De Bruyne and Charles De Ketelaere both started that most recent fixture and slot back into the same attacking positions here. Every other name in the XI carries an identical record for the same reason: this is currently the only match informing the projection.
Belgium predicted XI: Senne Lammens; Brandon Mechele, Maxim De Cuyper, Nathan Ngoy, Timothy Castagne; Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans, Mika Godts, Diego Moreira, Nicolas Raskin; Charles De Ketelaere
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 1 | Last 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | Senne Lammens | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 4 | Brandon Mechele | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 5 | Maxim De Cuyper | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 15 | Nathan Ngoy | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 21 | Timothy Castagne | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 7 | Kevin De Bruyne | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 8 | Youri Tielemans | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 10 | Mika Godts | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 19 | Diego Moreira | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 23 | Nicolas Raskin | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| F | 17 | Charles De Ketelaere | 1/1 | 1/1 |
Predicted France Line-up
France line up in a 4-3-3 under Zinédine Zidane, again his preferred formation. This too is a settled side – 11 of the projected XI started their last match, and as with Belgium that reading rests on a single recent game rather than an extended pattern. Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé both started that game and are pencilled back into the front line alongside Michael Olise. As with Belgium, every player in this expected XI shares the same one-match record underpinning the projection.
France predicted XI: Mike Maignan; Adrien Truffert, Dayot Upamecano, Jules Koundé, Maxence Lacroix; Manu Koné, Rayan Cherki, Adrien Rabiot; Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 1 | Last 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 16 | Mike Maignan | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 3 | Adrien Truffert | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 4 | Dayot Upamecano | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 5 | Jules Koundé | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 17 | Maxence Lacroix | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 8 | Manu Koné | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 9 | Rayan Cherki | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 14 | Adrien Rabiot | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| F | 7 | Ousmane Dembélé | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| F | 10 | Kylian Mbappé | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| F | 11 | Michael Olise | 1/1 | 1/1 |
Team News and Confirmed Absentees
Leandro Trossard is out injured, thinning Belgium’s forward options ahead of kick-off. Romelu Lukaku and Loïs Openda are the bench options best placed to step into that attacking role if van Bommel opts for a change up front.
| Player | Pos | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leandro Trossard | F | injured | Heel injury |
For France, no absentees are recorded in the data, leaving Zidane with his full group to choose from. Bradley Barcola remains the most notable attacking option among the unused substitutes if changes are needed to the front three.
How These Line-ups Were Picked
Each predicted lineup here is built from that side’s most recent line-up data – one match for both Belgium and France – with more recent matches weighted more heavily than older ones when more are available. Anyone confirmed injured or suspended has been removed from selection before the XI is assembled. With only a single recent match to work from on both sides, this projection should be treated as a working estimate that will firm up, or change entirely, once the official team news lands.
Read also: Belgium vs France Prediction: 28.09.2026 UEFA Nations League
Read also: Belgium vs France Head-to-Head: Record, Stats & Form as of 26 Sep 2026
FAQ
Who is predicted to start in goal for Belgium and France?
Senne Lammens is projected to start in goal for Belgium, with Mike Maignan expected between the posts for France.
What formations are Belgium and France expected to play?
Belgium’s expected XI is set up in a 4-2-3-1, while France’s projected line-up follows a 4-3-3.
Who is missing for Belgium vs France?
Leandro Trossard is out injured for Belgium, while no absentees are recorded for France in the available data.
When is the Belgium vs France kick-off?
The UEFA Nations League fixture kicks off on Monday 28 September 2026.