Mbappé scores in France’s win over Turkey as Belgium defeat Italy

Mbappé Scores and Exits in France’s Win Over Turkey

France opened their Nations League campaign with a 1-0 victory against Turkey in Kocaeli, but the primary concern centers on the fitness of their captain. The home side proved to be a stubborn opponent throughout the first half. In the 51st minute, Turkey nearly took the lead when Abdülkerim Bardakcı sent a downward header toward the goal, only for French goalkeeper Mike Maignan to produce a reflex save and turn it out for a corner.

Just three minutes later, France broke the deadlock. Michael Olise found Mbappé near the edge of the penalty area, and the forward drove his shot home to claim his 67th international goal, extending his own goalscoring record for the French national team. However, celebration quickly turned to concern. Shortly after scoring, Mbappé sat on the turf, massaging his left leg with a visible grimace of pain. He was replaced by Désiré Doué just before the hour mark.

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t look good,” said France manager Zinedine Zidane in a television interview following the match. “He will have to return (to Madrid). It’s swollen, we won’t take any risks.”

France nearly doubled their advantage late in the game when Bradley Barcola broke through on a breakaway. Barcola attempted to lift the ball over Turkey goalkeeper Uğur Çakır, who rushed out of his penalty area and handled the ball on the ground, earning a straight red card in the 87th minute.

Van Bommel’s Belgium Defeats Italy in Rome

At the 70,000-seat Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy faced Belgium in a clash of newly appointed managers. The evening belonged to visiting coach Mark van Bommel, whose Belgian side claimed a 2-0 victory. For Italy, the match marked Roberto Mancini’s return to the national team bench after a three-year absence. The home crowd expressed their frustration early, with boos ringing out around the stadium by the 20th minute.

Belgium capitalized on the restless atmosphere when Mika Godts scored his first senior international goal to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Dodi Lukebakio sealed the result in the second half with Belgium’s second goal, leaving the home fans disappointed after the team’s recent absence from the World Cup.

Results Across the Continent

In Group B2, Ukraine edged Hungary 1-0 thanks to a goal from Danylo Sikan in the 42nd minute. Ukraine now shares the top spot in the group with Northern Ireland, who secured a dramatic 1-0 victory away against Georgia courtesy of a 99th-minute strike from Shea Charles. Georgia’s star player, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, missed a penalty kick in the 65th minute. The match also saw Ukraine’s Oleksandr Nazarenko sent off in the 90th minute.

In Group B4, Sweden defeated Romania 2-1 behind goals from Alexander Isak in the 20th minute and Viktor Gyökeres in the 43rd minute, with Valentin Man scoring for Romania. Sweden now leads the group standings ahead of Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina, who played out a 0-0 draw in Warsaw.

Meanwhile, in Group C2, Armenia defeated Latvia 2-0 with goals from Edgar Harutyunyan and Karen Garibjanyan, while Montenegro overcame Cyprus 2-1 after goals from Nikola Krstović—who scored from a penalty spot—and Osmajič, overturning an earlier strike by Cameron Edwards.

UEFA Nations League Standings Overview

Following the first round of fixtures, early group leaders have established positions:

• Group A1: Belgium (3 pts) and France (3 pts) sit at the top, ahead of Turkey and Italy.
• Group B2: Northern Ireland and Ukraine both hold 3 points at the summit of the group.
• Group B4: Sweden leads with 3 points, followed by Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina with 1 point each.
• Group C2: Armenia and Montenegro lead their respective tables with 3 points apiece.

Teams will return to action in the coming days for the second fixture window of the tournament group stage. Share your thoughts on the opening round in the comments below.