Liverpool's Bradley Barcola criticised for "messy" performance in France win over Belgium

Bradley Barcola played 77 minutes of France's 1-0 victory over Belgium in the UEFA Nations League on Monday, with Michael Olise scoring the only goal of the contest for the Blues.

France have now recorded back-to-back 1-0 wins in the Nations League, which has left them top of Group 1 of League A ahead of Belgium, Italy and Turkey.

Barcola found it difficult to make his mark for Zinedine Zidane's side, though, and it has been a tough start to the 2026-27 campaign for the Liverpool forward.

The 24-year-old is yet to score a goal or provide an assist in five appearances for Liverpool following a big-money move to the Reds from Paris Saint-Germain over the summer.

VICTOIRE DE NOS BLEUS EN BELGIQUE ??

??0-1?? l #BELFRA pic.twitter.com/LGprWaMC42

— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) September 28, 2026

What did the French media say about Bradley Barcola's performance?

Barcola has received criticism of his display in France's success over Belgium.

Eurosport France only gave the attacker a rating of 4.5/10, and they noted his technical errors, in addition to branding his performance against Belgium as "messy".

Foot Mercato gave a rating of 5/10, while the same can also be said for Maxifoot.

Get French Football News also handed out a rating of 5/10, but So Foot were slightly more positive, issuing a rating of 6/10.

The general overview from the French media was that Barcola did cause Belgium problems with his direct running, but a lack of end product made it a largely disappointing performance.

© Iconsport / MB Media

When will Bradley Barcola next be in action for Liverpool?

Providing that Barcola does not suffer any injury problems during the international break, the Frenchman will be involved when Liverpool resume their 2026-27 Premier League campaign against Manchester City at Anfield on October 11.

It has not been the start to his Liverpool career that the attacker would have wanted, but he will be looking to inspire the Reds to a victory over Man City.

Before then, though, France have two more Nations League fixtures during this international break, taking on Italy on October 2 and Belgium on October 5.