Zinédine Zidane clearly saw it coming. Just seconds before Michael Olise’s decisive goal against Belgium (1-0) on Monday in the Nations League, the France coach started running down the touchline to follow the move. What happened next was priceless: Olise scored, Zidane erupted with joy and then smashed a ball lying in front of the French bench.
You could not take your eyes off Zinédine Zidane in the closing minutes of Belgium vs France. As Michael Olise took matters into his own hands and drove towards the Belgian goal, the France coach reacted in a rather unusual way.
Zidane suddenly started running in front of his bench. It was not simply a show of excitement: the former No. 10 genuinely felt the move was going to end in a goal.
Zidane Saw the Goal Coming
His instinct proved right. Olise completed the move by scoring France’s winning goal, triggering an extraordinary scene on the touchline.
Overcome with emotion, Zidane kept running before kicking a nearby ball with full force. It was a celebration far removed from the French coach’s usually composed demeanour, and it immediately raised smiles.
After the match, TF1 asked him whether he had been worried about injuring himself by suddenly breaking into a sprint. The question greatly amused the France boss.
“Was I worried about pulling a muscle? No (smiles). I started running because I wanted to follow Michael. I could see him starting to dribble and I felt he was going to score. I knew it. Either way, I was completely with him (laughs),” Zidane explained.
🤣 ZIDANE DÉCHAÎNÉ APRÈS LE BUT D’OLISE !
Le sélectionneur des Bleus revient avec le sourire sur sa célébration spectaculaire après le bijou de Michael Olise ! 🇫🇷🔥 🎙️@ThomasMekhiche pic.twitter.com/dtYTch9fsH
— TF1 (@TF1) September 28, 2026
“I Knew It”
The most remarkable part is that Zidane insists he sensed what was going to happen even before Olise took his shot. As he watched his player accelerate and beat his opponents, the France coach immediately believed a goal was coming.
The sequence inevitably brought back memories of Zidane the player. For a few seconds, the 1998 World Cup winner almost seemed to want to physically accompany his attacker all the way into the Belgian penalty area.
Olise’s goal ultimately secured a 1-0 victory for France and kept Les Bleus moving forward in the Nations League. But it also produced one of the most memorable images of the night: Zidane rediscovering his instincts as a player on the touchline.
