France vs Belgium: How One Stunning Second Half Changed Everything

France produced a remarkable second-half comeback to defeat Belgium 4-1 in the UEFA Nations League at the Stade de France on Monday, October 5, 2026.

Belgium looked on course for an important away victory after Dodi Lukebakio gave the visitors the lead in the first half. However, France completely changed the game after the break, scoring four times in the final 15 minutes to secure a convincing victory.

The result strengthens France's position at the top of Nations League Group A1 and gives Zinedine Zidane his first home victory as France manager.
France started the match with plenty of possession but struggled to break through Belgium's defensive structure.

The visitors eventually punished France in the 35th minute.
Dodi Lukebakio found space behind the French defence after receiving a long pass from Romeo Lavia. With France's defensive line pushing forward, Lukebakio raced through before calmly beating goalkeeper Guillaume Restes in a one-on-one situation.

The goal gave Belgium a 1-0 advantage and forced France to find another way back into the match.
France were also playing without captain Kylian Mbappé, but they continued to control possession despite struggling to create clear chances.
The turning point came in the second half when Zidane introduced additional attacking quality from the bench;Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki entered the game around the hour mark, while Désiré Doué was introduced later.

The changes transformed France's attack.

After creating several opportunities, France finally found the equaliser in the 77th minute.

Désiré Doué received the ball near the edge of the penalty area before producing a composed left-footed finish across goal to make it 1-1.

Suddenly, France were back in control.

Rayan Cherki Puts France Ahead

Only four minutes after Doué's equaliser, France completed the turnaround.

Michael Olise produced an excellent delivery into the area, allowing Rayan Cherki to finish and put France 2-1 ahead.

What had looked like a comfortable evening for Belgium had suddenly become a nightmare.

France continued attacking and Belgium struggled to cope with the pace and movement of the French forwards.

Michael Olise Completes a Brilliant Night

Olise then took centre stage.

The French attacker scored twice in quick succession to turn the comeback into a 4-1 victory.

His first goal came from close range before he added another during stoppage time, completing a personal brace and putting the result beyond doubt.

The contribution of Olise, Cherki and Doué highlighted one of France's biggest strengths: their attacking depth.

All three players who changed the match had started on the bench.

Zidane's France Show Their Squad Depth

The victory will be particularly encouraging for Zidane because France managed to win convincingly despite not having their captain Mbappé on the pitch.

The first half exposed some of France's problems against a deep defensive block, but the second half showed the number of attacking options available to the new manager.

Zidane also admitted after the match that France had struggled to find the final pass and finish their opportunities in the first half before producing an "extraordinary second half."

That ability to change a match from the bench could become extremely important in the Nations League and future major tournaments.

What the Result Means for the Nations League Table

France now sit top of Group A1 with 10 points, three points ahead of Italy and four points ahead of Belgium.

Belgium therefore leave Paris with plenty to think about, particularly after allowing France to score four times in the closing stages.

The defeat also continues France's impressive recent record against Belgium. Before this match, France had already beaten Belgium 1-0 in September 2026, while also winning their previous competitive meetings at Euro 2024 and in the 2024 Nations League.

The Bigger Picture

For Belgium, the defeat will be frustrating because they competed well for long periods and successfully restricted France during the opening half.

For France, however, the comeback could prove more important than the final score.

The team demonstrated resilience, tactical flexibility and attacking depth. Most importantly, Zidane showed that he can make changes that have a significant impact on the outcome of a match.

France may still have areas to improve, particularly their ability to break down defensive teams from the beginning of matches. But a 4-1 comeback against Belgium will give the squad plenty of confidence.

Final Score

France 4-1 Belgium

Belgium: Dodi Lukebakio 35'

France: Désiré Doué 77', Rayan Cherki 81', Michael Olise 84', Michael Olise stoppage time

France's victory keeps them firmly in control of Group A1, while Belgium must now respond in their remaining Nations League fixtures.

For France, the message is clear: even without Mbappé, this squad has enough attacking quality to change a game in a matter of minutes.