France Defeats Belgium 4-1 at Stade de France
France defeated Belgium 4-1 in a UEFA Nations League Group A1 fixture at the Stade de France on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, with a flurry of four goals in the final fifteen minutes. Zinedine Zidane secured his first home win as coach of the French national team after trailing for much of the match. The victory keeps Les Bleus at the top of the Group 1 standings with 10 points from four matches, three points ahead of second-place Italy, according to detiksport and ANTARA News Kalteng. Belgium sits in third place in the group with six points following the loss.
How the Match Unfolded in Saint-Denis
France opened the match with an aggressive tempo orchestrated by wingers Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola, as reported by ANTARA News Kalteng. Barcola forced a save from Belgian goalkeeper Marten Vandevoordt in the 16th minute. Despite the early pressure, Belgium broke the deadlock against the run of play in the 35th minute. Romeo Lavia slipped a through ball to Dodi Lukebakio, who drove into the penalty area and fired a shot past goalkeeper Guillaume Restes into the top corner.
Zidane shifted his tactics in the second half by introducing substitutes Desire Doue, Rayan Cherki, and Lucas Da Cunha to inject life into the attack. The changes completely altered the match dynamic. In the 77th minute, Da Cunha fed a short pass to Desire Doue inside the box; Doue outmaneuvered a defender and slotted a low shot through an opponent’s legs into the bottom right corner to equalize.
Rayan Cherki gave France the lead four minutes later after receiving a pass from Olise on the right side of the penalty area and striking a first-time shot past Vandevoordt. Olise capped off his substitute appearance by scoring twice in the closing minutes. In the 86th minute, Olise completed a solo run past three defenders, played a one-two with Doue, and finished at the far post. He added his second goal in the 91st minute from close range after another assist by Doue, sealing the 4-1 scoreline.
Zidane Secures First Home Victory
In quotes reported by ESPN and relayed by detiksport, Zidane addressed the match’s dramatic conclusion. “Tonight, this is football, this is what we love,” Zidane said, translated as “Tonight, this is football, this is what we love.” “We faced some difficulties in the first half, but that’s part of the game; these are the matches you face from time to time. It’s good to be able to improve things—that’s what we did—and we managed to play an extraordinary second half,” Zidane added, noting the team worked through early difficulties to execute an exceptional second half. CNN Indonesia and ANTARA News Kalteng confirmed that the victory extends France’s lead at the top of the group table ahead of Italy, who defeated Turkey 3-1 on the same night.
Who Scored and Where the Match Was Played?
Who scored the goals for France against Belgium?
Substitute Michael Olise scored two goals, while Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki each added one goal during the final 15 minutes of the match. Dodi Lukebakio scored the lone goal for Belgium.
Where was the UEFA Nations League match played?
The Group A1 fixture took place at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
What is the current standings in UEFA Nations League Group A1?
France leads the group with 10 points from four matches. Italy sits in second place with seven points, Belgium is third with six points, and Turkey occupies the bottom spot.
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