Nations League: can Belgium win in Italy on Mark van Bommel's debut?

Two months after the 2026 World Cup ended, international football is back. The national sides have their say again, with the Nations League.

Plenty of countries changed coach after the World Cup. Our Red Devils among them. Despite his successful tactical call against Senegal, Rudi Garcia was not kept on.

The Belgian FA picked Mark van Bommel, the Dutch coach, to replace the Frenchman. GoldenVegas Sport, the new online sports betting site in Belgium, sets out what is at stake on the new manager's first night, which takes place in Italy.

A former Jupiler Pro League winner

Van Bommel's appointment made some Belgian supporters bristle, grateful as they were for Garcia's work. All the same, the man taking charge of Lukaku's side is nobody's second choice.

In 2023 the former midfielder was the coach who brought the Belgian title back to Antwerp for the first time since 1957.

So he arrives as a manager who has already won something, on top of a huge playing career: in La Liga with FC Barcelona, in Serie A with AC Milan, and at PSV Eindhoven, with whom he reached the Champions League semi-final in 2005.

Like Garcia, who started out with Belgium in the Nations League, against Ukraine, Van Bommel makes his debut in the same competition. With the same result?

A World Cup absentee as opponents

The task will be harder, though, because a trip to Italy is never an easy night. Even if the four-time world champions have lost their aura.

The Squadra Azzurra have missed the last three World Cups, falling in the play-offs every time. After those repeated failures, the federation brought back Roberto Mancini, who won the 2021 Euros with the Italians.

He too is making his debut, like Van Bommel. It remains to be seen who comes out on top of a duel the bookmakers rate as even, as the near-identical odds show.

At GoldenVegas Sport, a 25% BetXtra is available on every live bet on Italy-Belgium.