France will face Belgium in the second matchday of the UEFA Nations League with a significant change to their leadership structure. Star forward Kylian Mbappé is sidelined due to injury, prompting head coach Zinedine Zidane to hand the armband to Ousmane Dembélé for the upcoming fixture.
The decision was highlighted during a training session in Brussels on September 27, 2026, where images captured Dembélé conversing with Zidane ahead of the contest at King Baudouin Stadium.
The absence of Mbappé comes as part of a busy international window that has seen other notable results across the competition. In Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo remained on the bench as his nation secured a victory over Norway. Meanwhile, in a major upset, Jürgen Klopp’s German side was defeated by Greece.
Dembélé as captain feels like a risky gamble. He’s brilliant but lacks that steady authority on the pitch we need for big games.
Wait, Zidane is coaching France now? I must have missed that news. Also, Klopp losing to Greece is wild!
Finally, Dembélé gets the chance to prove he can handle the leadership role without Mbappé dragging the team along.