Turkey hit a new competitive low in the UEFA Nations League on October 2, 2026, dropping a 3-0 decision to Belgium at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne in Liège. Kevin De Bruyne orchestrated the victory with a pair of goals, leaving the Turkish national side winless through three matches in League A Group 1 and escalating the pressure on head coach Vincenzo Montella.
De Bruyne Orchestrates Belgium’s Victory in Liège
Çakır and Turkey’s backline managed to absorb sustained pressure through the remainder of the first half, aided by missed opportunities from Lukébakio, who hit the goalframe twice during the match.
De Bruyne added his second in the 60th minute with a curling 18-meter effort into the upper corner that left Çakır with no chance. Substitute Romelu Lukaku sealed the result in the 76th minute by converting from close range. The final 3-0 scoreline made the encounter appear more lopsided than the run of play suggested, according to match reports from sportschau.de, which noted that Turkey carved out several promising openings through young playmaker Arda Güler and defender Merih Demiral before halftime.
Montella Faces Growing Scrutiny After Winless Start
The defeat leaves Turkey anchored at the bottom of the group with zero points following earlier losses to France (0-1) and Italy (1-4). The slump follows a disappointing group-stage elimination at the summer World Cup, where Turkey finished last in a group containing the United States, Australia, and Paraguay, as detailed by t-online.de.
Compounding squad difficulties, Turkey traveled to Belgium without Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Can Uzun due to an injury, according to ZDF. Montella deployed a starting lineup featuring Çakır in goal behind Zeki Çelik, Merih Demiral, and Bardakçı, with Güler pulling the strings alongside Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Barış Alper Yılmaz. Despite flashes of attacking intent, the team’s ongoing struggles with efficiency in the final third proved decisive.
France leads Group A1 after draw with Italy
In the group’s parallel fixture in Paris, France and Italy played to a 1-1 draw at the Stade France. The result leaves Zinedine Zidane’s France atop the group with seven points, while Belgium sits second with six points. Turkey travels to face Italy on October 5, 2026, at 20:45 UTC, while Belgium meets France away on the same evening.
What were the results of Belgium versus Turkey?
What was the final score of the Belgium versus Turkey match?
Belgium defeated Turkey 3-0 at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne in Liège on October 2, 2026. Kevin De Bruyne scored twice, and Romelu Lukaku added a third goal in the second half.
Who scored Belgium’s goals against Turkey?
Kevin De Bruyne scored in the 10th and 60th minutes, reaching the 200- and 201-goal milestones of his professional career. Romelu Lukaku scored the team’s third goal in the 76th minute.
Where does Turkey rank in its Nations League group?
Turkey sits at the bottom of UEFA Nations League Group A1 with zero points after three matches, having previously lost to France and Italy.
When is Turkey’s next Nations League fixture?
Turkey plays away against Italy on October 5, 2026, at 20:45 UTC, while Belgium travels to face France on the same night.
