Until the 77th minute, Zinédine Zidane's heavily rotated France were staring at a home defeat by Belgium at the Stade de France. By the final whistle, his substitutes had turned it into a 4–1 rout.
Désiré Doué, Rayan Cherki and Michael Olise, all introduced after the break, shared four goals between the 77th and 90th minutes, with Olise scoring twice at the end. The comeback gave France a seventh consecutive victory over their neighbours and stretched Belgium's wait for a competitive win against Les Bleus to 45 years.
This was supposed to be a night for looking at options rather than making statements. Zidane made ten changes to his starting line-up and was without the injured Kylian Mbappé. Goalkeeper Guillaume Restes, in for Mike Maignan, and Leny Yoro both made their senior France debuts.
Belgium had their own gaps to fill. Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans were both suspended, only days after De Bruyne had steered his side past Türkiye in Liège. Maarten Vandevoordt made his debut in goal.
Lukebakio exposes France's reshuffled defence
Belgium struck first, and they did it exactly the way they had planned. In the 35th minute Roméo Lavia lofted a pass into the space behind the French back line. Dodi Lukebakio timed his run to beat the offside trap and placed a left-footed shot past Restes into the top corner.
It was a harsh introduction for the debutant goalkeeper and a reward for a Belgian side content to sit deep and wait. The Belgian press later described the Red Devils' counter-attacking plan as effective for 75 minutes, and the first half bore that out.
France had the ball but no edge. The French press called the opening 45 minutes sterile and wasteful without Mbappé, and the hosts went in a goal down.
The final numbers describe a siege. France finished with 66% of possession, 23 shots to Belgium's five and nine corners to two. Yet Belgium needed only two efforts on target all night to protect their lead deep into the second half. That contrast was the whole story until the bench changed it.
Doué and Cherki break Belgium's resistance
The breach came in the 77th minute. Lucas da Cunha supplied the assist and Doué finished to make it 1–1. Only days earlier, Bastoni had punished a Da Cunha error in the draw with Italy.
The equaliser lifted a home crowd that had been patient for a long time. What followed was a frantic finish.
By the 81st minute France were ahead. Olise provided the pass and Cherki scored to make it 2–1.
The goal carried a subplot. Olise and Cherki had publicly dismissed reports of dressing-room tension between them, and they shared a visible warm-up routine before both came off the bench. Combining for the goal that put France in front was the most convincing answer they could have given.
For Belgium, it was the moment a disciplined performance came apart. Their press spoke of another painful collapse against France and of a psychological block in this fixture that the Red Devils still cannot shift.
Olise punishes Belgium twice in the closing minutes
Olise then took over. In the 88th minute Doué crossed from the left and Olise struck home from close range for 3–1.
The fourth, at the 90-minute mark, was the most fluent move of the night. Cherki switched play out wide to Doué, who controlled cleanly and slipped a pass through the defensive channel. Olise slotted a low left-footed shot between Vandevoordt's legs.
The double took Olise to 11 goals in 29 caps, a better return over his first 29 appearances than Thierry Henry managed. Doué finished with a goal and two assists. He started the comeback and then supplied the finishes that ended it.
For Zidane, the result brought a first home win as France coach. The French press credited his changes and singled out the bench as decisive in turning what had looked like a trap into a resounding late rout.
France tighten grip on Group A1 as Belgium falter
The table rewards the comeback. France now have 10 points from four matches and sit three clear of Italy at the top of Group A1. Zidane remains unbeaten in the campaign, with three wins and a draw.
They have also completed a home-and-away double over Belgium within a week, following the 1–0 win on Belgian soil on 28 September. Ten changes, no Mbappé and a goal down at the break, and France still scored four.
Belgium stay third on six points, their campaign alternating between wins and defeats this season. The result leaves them chasing in the group. It also reopens an old question: how can a side that frustrates France for so long keep finding ways to lose to them?
For France, the deeper message is about depth. A rotated starting line-up kept control of the ball, the replacements delivered the goals, and the debutants came through a night that ended in celebration.
Match Information
Competition: UEFA Nations League, League A – Round 4
Date & Time: Monday 5 October 2026, 20:45 CET
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
Referee: Nick Walsh
