Belgium-France: De Bruyne clashes with referee over Nations League rule

France defeated Belgium 1-0 in Brussels on Monday, 28 September 2026, with Michael Olise scoring late to give Les Bleus first place in Group 1 of the Nations League’s League A. The match was decided by a narrow margin, but one of its clearest flashpoints came well before the winning goal, when Kevin De Bruyne reacted angrily to a new medical-treatment rule.

The incident came in the 34th minute. De Bruyne had remained on the pitch after a ball struck him in the face during an intervention involving France defender Maxence Lacroix. Belgium’s medical staff treated him, after which Slovenian referee Rade Obrenovic instructed him to leave the field before returning to play.

The rule requires a player who has received treatment on the pitch to remain outside for one minute. It was introduced during the summer as part of a series of measures designed to reduce time lost to stoppages. The player may re-enter only after that minute has elapsed, even when the injury appears minor or the treatment has finished.

De Bruyne objected to the instruction. As Obrenovic explained the procedure, the Belgian midfielder moved the referee away with his arm and said, “Fuck off man.” The confrontation did not result in an immediate booking. De Bruyne then waited beside the touchline, visibly unhappy, until the required minute had passed and he was permitted to return.

The referee later showed De Bruyne a yellow card in the 57th minute for a foul. Six minutes after that, Belgium replaced him with Hans Vanaken. France held on to its advantage and secured the points through Olise’s late strike, turning an open match into a defeat that left Belgium without the result its performance had been seeking.

Belgium coach Mark van Bommel said he had no complaint with the effort of his players. “I told the boys that I had nothing to reproach them for,” he said. He also pointed to the speed with which the team was absorbing his approach, which requires an immediate retreat after losing possession and an attempt to create another pressing opportunity.

Van Bommel added that Belgium needed to apply the same principles against every opponent, whether San Marino or Spain. He said the team had to make its style clear and identified details as the difference between victory and defeat. His assessment placed the loss in the context of Belgium’s wider development rather than on the treatment stoppage alone, even though De Bruyne’s reaction became one of the match’s defining scenes.

The player information attached to the name Kevin in the current database does not match the international profile described in this match account. It lists a 23-year-old Brazilian left winger at Fulham, with a metatarsal bruise, rather than a Belgian midfielder. That record also lists a €25 million market value and a €40 million transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk to Fulham in the 2025-26 season. Those details identify a separate player record and cannot be used to recast the incident involving De Bruyne.

For the Nations League, the immediate consequence is clearer: France moved to the top of Group 1 in League A after winning in Brussels, while Belgium were left to examine the small moments that separated the teams. De Bruyne’s one-minute wait will also provide an early example of how the treatment rule is being enforced. Belgium’s next matches will show whether players adapt more quickly to the requirement and whether Van Bommel’s pressing structure can turn close performances into points.