Michael Olise sets France record as Zidane’s reign begins with Belgium victory

Michael Olise’s late goal in France’s dramatic victory over Belgium was followed by a series of notable milestones as Zinedine Zidane’s tenure as France manager began with a win.

France recorded 11 victories during 2026, their best return in a calendar year since 2018, when they won 12 matches, according to French statistics network Stats Foot.

Olise was also at the centre of a landmark achievement connected to the start of Zidane’s time in charge. He became the first player to contribute directly to both of France’s opening two goals under a new manager since Eric Cantona did so under Gerard Houllier in 1992.

Cantona scored one goal and set up the other during that sequence. Olise has now matched the feat after scoring one of the goals and assisting another at the beginning of Zidane’s reign.

The 24-year-old has made an impressive international impact, registering 18 goal contributions in his first 27 appearances for France. His total consists of eight goals and 10 assists.

That is the highest number recorded by a France player in their first 27 internationals since Yuri Djorkaeff contributed to 22 goals in his opening 27 matches in 1997.

Olise’s influence was part of a wider run of positive results for France, with Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola also featuring in a notable team statistic.

France have won all seven matches in which Doue and Barcola have appeared together. Their shared involvement has therefore coincided with a perfect winning record for the national side.

The victory over Belgium also brought an improvement in France’s defensive record in the absence of Dayot Upamecano.

It was only their second clean sheet in their past 14 matches without the defender. The other came in the 1-0 victory over Germany on 8 June 2025.

The collection of statistics provided an early indication of the changes and individual milestones accompanying the beginning of Zidane’s France tenure. Olise’s decisive contribution was the most visible moment of the night, while the wider figures highlighted France’s strong results in 2026 and the continuing emergence of several key players.