France produced a remarkable late turnaround in Paris on Monday, recovering from a 1-0 deficit to beat Belgium 4-1 in the Nations League. The hosts had dominated large stretches of the match but struggled to convert their chances. Then, with defeat seemingly within reach, they produced four goals in just 14 minutes to complete a stunning victory.
The result strengthens France’s position at the top of Group A1, with the side now collecting 10 points from four matches.
France began the match with clear attacking intent. They controlled possession, pushed Belgium back and created a succession of opportunities around the visitors’ penalty area. Yet the final touch repeatedly let them down. Esteban Lepaul was among those who failed to make the most of promising openings as Belgium managed to protect their advantage.
Belgium were more effective when they broke forward. Their pace on the counter created problems for France, and that approach brought the opening goal in the 35th minute. Dodi Lukebakio finished a swift attacking move to give Belgium a 1-0 lead.
France returned from the interval with greater urgency and continued to press high up the pitch. Despite their sustained pressure, however, an equaliser remained elusive. The longer the match stayed in Belgium’s favour, the more significant the pressure became on the hosts to find a breakthrough.
Zinedine Zidane responded with a series of attacking substitutions. Michael Olise, Luca da Cunha and Rayan Cherki were brought on together in the 60th minute, while Désiré Doué entered the match 12 minutes later.
The changes transformed France’s attacking threat.
Doué equalised in the 77th minute, finally breaking Belgium’s resistance. Four minutes later, Cherki completed the turnaround by putting France 2-1 ahead. Belgium were suddenly forced to defend a lead that had disappeared almost as quickly as it had been established.
France continued to attack and found further rewards late in the contest. Olise scored in the 88th minute to make it 3-1, then struck again in the first minute of stoppage time. In the space of only 14 minutes, France had turned a 1-0 deficit into a comprehensive 4-1 victory.
The dramatic comeback was welcomed by Zidane, who said his players had responded positively after recognising the problems they faced during the first half.
“What happened tonight is football, and it is what we love,” the France manager said. “We had some problems in the first half, but that is part of the game. Sometimes matches develop like that.”
Zidane was especially pleased with the way his players corrected their shortcomings after the interval.
“It is always good to correct things after making mistakes, and that is exactly what we did in an outstanding second half,” he said. “In the first half, we were just missing by very little time and again. But afterwards we turned the match around, and that was excellent.”
The substitutes were central to the turnaround. Doué scored the equaliser, Cherki put France in front and Olise finished the match with two goals. Zidane, however, insisted that the victory should not be viewed simply as the work of those introduced from the bench.
“We knew the substitutes could change the course of the game. They are high-quality players,” he said. “But again, this was a complete team performance. Although the substitutes made a difference when they came on, everyone has played well over the past two weeks. Each player has played their part, and that is what stands out most to me.”
The victory leaves France top of Group A1 on 10 points from four matches. They have recorded two wins against Belgium, another victory over Turkey and a draw with Italy. Italy are second with seven points from four games.
Olise, one of the outstanding performers in the comeback, also highlighted the collective nature of the result. He credited the players’ willingness to follow Zidane’s ideas and adapt to the manager’s approach.
“It was a collective effort,” Olise said. “He brings new ideas and we follow them. We have done that well over the last four matches and we will continue in the same way.”
France’s performance ultimately demonstrated the value of persistence. Belgium had remained ahead for more than 75 minutes, but France kept attacking, changed the shape of the game through their substitutions and then capitalised ruthlessly when the opening finally arrived. The result not only produced a memorable comeback in Paris but also reinforced their position at the top of the group.
