France 4-1 Belgium — four goals in 13 stunning minutes turned a potential Stade de France embarrassment into a statement win as Zinedine Zidane's unbeaten start as Les Bleus coach continued in the UEFA Nations League.
Belgium were on course for their first competitive victory over France in 45 years after Dodi Lukébakio fired the visitors ahead in the 35th minute, but Zidane's substitutes delivered a devastating late blitz to preserve France's unbeaten record and move them three points clear at the top of Group A1.
Lukébakio Stuns the Stade de France
France controlled possession but created little against a disciplined Belgium side that was without the suspended duo of Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans. The breakthrough came against the run of play when Romeo Lavia's superb ball split the French defence, allowing Lukébakio to race clear and finish clinically past debutant goalkeeper Guillaume Restes.
The home supporters fell silent. Having already drawn 1-1 with Italy on Friday, Zidane's heavily rotated side — with 10 changes and only Ousmane Dembélé keeping his place — looked short of ideas against Belgium's low block. It was France's eighth consecutive match without a first-half goal, a run that will concern Zidane even after this triumph.
Teenage Manchester United defender Leny Yoro made his France debut alongside Restes in goal, with Dembélé captaining the side again in the absence of the injured Kylian Mbappé.
The Bench Changes Everything
Zidane's genius moment came from the bench. With the game drifting away, the France coach introduced his star-studded substitutes and watched them tear Belgium apart in a blistering 13-minute spell.
Désiré Doué hauled France level in the 77th minute with a low left-footed drive from the edge of the area. Four minutes later, Michael Olise teed up Rayan Cherki to fire the hosts ahead, and then the Bayern Munich winger took over — scoring a third goal before adding another in stoppage time to cap a stunning French comeback.
All four of France's goals were scored by substitutes, proof of the extraordinary depth Zidane has at his disposal.
Olise: The Heart of the Zidane Era
Olise has been France's most influential player in the early stages of the Zidane era, netting four times in his last three matches despite starting only once. His brace in Paris followed last week's late winner against Belgium in Brussels.
"It's a team effort. Zidane brings his own ideas and we follow them. We're going to keep going like this," Olise told TF1 after the match.
Zidane himself praised his side's character: "That's football, that's what we love. There were difficulties, but that's part of the game. It's good to put things right, and that's what we did with an extraordinary second half."
Group A1 Picture
France sit top of Group A1 with 10 points, three ahead of Italy and four clear of Belgium. Italy moved up into second place with a 3-1 victory over Türkiye in Bologna, courtesy of goals from Gianluca Scamacca, Riccardo Calafiori and Pio Esposito. Türkiye are bottom with four defeats from four matches.
Zidane's team will complete their group campaign with games away to Italy and at home to Türkiye next month, while Belgium must now win their remaining fixtures to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.
For more on the build-up to this fixture, read our preview of the France-Belgium Nations League showdown, and see how Olise has thrived under Zidane in our earlier feature. Reuters' match report has the full details of the late blitz.
Beyond the Final Whistle: France's 4-1 demolition of Belgium was a game of two halves — a flat, ideas-short opening 75 minutes followed by one of the most devastating finishes in Nations League history. Zidane's bench is a weapon no rival can match right now, and with Olise in this form, Les Bleus look like genuine tournament favourites again. Can anyone stop this France side? Let us know in the comments.
