Dodi Lukebakio put Belgium ahead in the 35th minute with a left-footed strike, silencing the home crowd as the visitors held their lead for over an hour. The tactical landscape shifted dramatically when manager Zinedine Zidane introduced Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki, and Lucas Da Cunha in a triple substitution. This late offensive surge shattered the Belgian defensive block, with France netting four times in the final 14 minutes to turn a deficit into a commanding 4-1 victory. Before the late collapse, Belgian goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt had anchored his side’s defense, producing a series of acrobatic saves to frustrate French attackers like Bradley Barcola and Esteban Lepaul.
This result keeps France at the summit of Nations League Group 1, building on their previous 1-0 win in Brussels. For France, the match demonstrated depth and tactical flexibility, as the substitutes directly influenced the outcome after the starting lineup struggled to breach the Belgian low block for the majority of the contest. The victory serves to cement France’s position at the top of the group standings.
According to Goal.com, the match featured an experimental French defensive pairing of Maxence Lacroix and Leny Yoro. The Guardian notes that the performance of Vandevoordt continues a long-standing Belgian tradition of producing high-caliber goalkeepers. While the first hour of play was defined by Belgian discipline, the final quarter of the match saw France dismantle the visitors through a rapid-fire sequence of goals from Desire Doue, Rayan Cherki, and Michael Olise.