France vs Belgium football match 2026: France complete stunning 4-1 comeback with four late goals
The France vs Belgium football match 2026 produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of the UEFA Nations League so far, as France recovered from a 1-0 deficit to beat Belgium 4-1 at the Stade de France.
For 77 minutes, Belgium looked set to leave Paris with an impressive victory. Dodi Lukebakio had given the visitors the lead in the first half, while France struggled to turn possession and pressure into clear-cut chances.
Then everything changed.
France scored four times in the final 13 minutes, with Désiré Doué, Rayan Cherki and Michael Olise completely turning the match around. Olise was the standout figure, scoring twice and playing a decisive role in three of France’s four goals.
The result keeps France unbeaten under new head coach Zinedine Zidane and sends Les Bleus to the top of Group A1 with 10 points from four matches. Belgium remain third on six points.
Belgium strike first as France struggle to find the breakthrough
France started with plenty of possession but found Belgium difficult to break down.
The visitors were missing several important players, including Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans, but they remained disciplined and dangerous on the counter-attack.
Their reward arrived in the 35th minute.
Roméo Lavia produced an outstanding long-range through ball from inside his own half, catching the French defence out. Lukebakio raced through, found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Guillaume Restes and calmly finished into the top corner.
The goal gave Belgium a 1-0 advantage and changed the mood inside the Stade de France.
France continued to push forward but could not find an equaliser before half-time. Bradley Barcola, Estéban Lepaul and Ousmane Dembélé all had opportunities, but Belgium survived the pressure.
France went into the break 1-0 down.
Zidane’s substitutions change the game
The turning point came from the French bench.
Zidane introduced Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki and later Désiré Doué, and the impact of those changes was immediate.
France had looked short of a decisive final touch for much of the match. Suddenly, the attack became faster, more direct and much more unpredictable.
The equaliser finally arrived in the 77th minute.
Lucas Da Cunha supplied Doué, who controlled the ball before producing a low finish from outside the area. The shot beat Belgium goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt and brought France level at 1-1.
What happened next was even more remarkable.
Only four minutes after the equaliser, France completed the turnaround.
Olise created the opening and supplied Rayan Cherki, who finished to put France 2-1 ahead in the 81st minute. Belgium had gone from controlling the match to chasing it in the space of a few moments.
Michael Olise takes centre stage
If Doué started the comeback, Olise finished it.
The Bayern Munich forward scored France’s third goal in the 88th minute after combining with Doué. His finish gave France a two-goal cushion and effectively ended Belgium’s hopes of recovering.
But Olise was not finished.
Deep into stoppage time, he scored again after another Doué assist to complete a remarkable individual contribution.
The final score read France 4-1 Belgium.
France had scored four goals in the final 13 minutes of normal time and turned what appeared to be a disappointing home performance into a statement victory.
Olise’s influence was particularly impressive. According to match reporting, he was involved in three of France’s four goals after coming off the bench. He has also enjoyed an exceptional international year, with his involvement in 17 goals across 16 appearances for France in 2026.
France move clear at the top of Group A1
The victory has strengthened France’s position at the top of Nations League Group A1.
France now have 10 points from four matches, three points ahead of second-placed Italy. Belgium sit third with six points, while Türkiye remain at the bottom after four defeats.
The group is therefore still alive, but France have given themselves an excellent platform heading into the final two matches.
The top two teams will qualify for the quarter-finals, while the third-placed side will enter a relegation play-off and the bottom team will be relegated to League B. The quarter-finals and play-offs are scheduled for March 2027.
For Zidane, the result is another major positive during the early stages of his tenure.
France have now recorded three wins and one draw under their new coach in this Nations League campaign. More importantly, the team has shown that it can win in different ways — even when the performance is not perfect for long periods.
What the France vs Belgium football match 2026 means for Zidane
The biggest takeaway from the game may not simply be the scoreline.
Zidane has inherited a squad packed with attacking talent, and this match demonstrated the depth available to him.
France were without Kylian Mbappé for this game, yet they still had players such as Dembélé, Barcola, Cherki, Doué and Olise available. The ability to introduce high-quality attacking players from the bench could become an important weapon as the Nations League campaign progresses.
Olise’s performance will also give Zidane another selection decision to consider. His two goals and creative contribution showed exactly why he can be so dangerous against tiring defences.
For Belgium, the defeat will be much harder to digest.
They defended well for most of the evening and led for 77 minutes, but once France found the equaliser, Belgium lost control of the match remarkably quickly. Their defensive structure could not cope with the sudden increase in French attacking intensity.
France’s next Nations League matches
France will return to Nations League action in November with two important Group A1 fixtures.
Les Bleus travel to Italy on 12 November 2026 before hosting Türkiye on 15 November. UEFA’s official fixture list confirms those as France’s final group matches.
The match in Italy could be particularly important for determining who finishes top of the group. Italy currently occupy second place after their 3-1 victory over Türkiye.
France, however, will enter those matches with considerable confidence after producing one of their most spectacular late comebacks of the campaign.
From 0-1 down to 4-1 up in just a few minutes, the France vs Belgium football match 2026 was a reminder of how quickly a football match can change.
Belgium had the lead.
France had the pressure.
And then Zidane’s substitutes completely changed the story.
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