France erased a half-time deficit with four late goals to beat Belgium 4-1 on Monday night at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, closing out Zinédine Zidane's first international window in charge of Les Bleus with a perfect record. The result, completed in UEFA Nations League Group A1, turned on a dramatic final quarter of an hour after debutant goalkeeper Guillaume Restes had been beaten before the break.
Dodi Lukébakio put Belgium ahead in the 35th minute, finishing a move that left the 21-year-old Restes with no chance on his first senior appearance. France trailed 1-0 to Belgium through a Dodi Lukebakio goal before completing a comeback in Paris. The visitors held that lead deep into the second half before France's bench changed the course of the match entirely.
Four Goals in a Devastating Final Act
Zidane turned to his substitutes and was rewarded almost instantly. Désiré Doué levelled the score in the 77th minute, and four minutes later Rayan Cherki put France ahead, assisted by Michael Olise. Olise then took over himself, scoring in the 88th minute with an assist from Doué before adding a second in stoppage time, also set up by Doué to complete a brutal collapse for the Belgians. The headline summed it up plainly: “France stun Belgium with four late goals to snatch victory.”
A Debut to Remember, For Better and Worse
The story before kickoff belonged to two uncapped players handed rare opportunities by Zidane in the final match of his opening camp. Guillaume Restes and Leny Yoro made their senior international debuts as France wrapped up their international window on matchday four of the Nations League.
The Youngest Since 1973
Restes' night carried historic weight from the opening whistle. The Toulouse goalkeeper became the youngest goalkeeper to appear for Les Bleus in the post-Second World War era. At 21 years and 208 days, he set a landmark not seen since Jean-Paul Bertrand-Demanes faced Denmark in November 1973 at 21 years and 182 days. The milestone came with an immediate asterisk, as Restes became the fourteenth goalkeeper in French history to concede the first goal of his international career, a tally topping any other nation according to Euro Stats.
Yoro's Long-Awaited Start
Alongside Restes, Manchester United defender Leny Yoro earned his first senior start, stepping in for the injured Ibrahima Konaté. United paid an initial £52.2 million to sign the Frenchman from Lille in July 2024, and after a frustrating run of fitness setbacks since, Yoro finally got the chance to walk out from the beginning for France's senior team. He lined up at centre-back alongside Maxence Lacroix as part of a youthful backline, with the Toulouse goalkeeper and Manchester United centre-back both starting for a side Zidane had rotated for this return fixture against the Red Devils, a week after the 1-0 win in Brussels. Captain duties for the night went to Ousmane Dembélé, leading a squad built around both emerging and established names from the French top flight and beyond.
Zidane's Flawless Opening Window
The win capped an unbeaten start for Zidane as national team coach. France had won away at Turkey (1-0) and Belgium (1-0) and drawn at home with Italy (1-1) before this fourth fixture of the window, which followed France's recent draw against Italy at home. Four matches, three wins and a draw represent as strong a start as Zidane could have hoped for in his first camp in charge.
Group A1 Standings After Matchday Four
The comeback win pushed France clear at the summit of their group with a maximum return from the games that mattered most. According to the latest standings, France sit top with three wins, one draw and no defeats from four matches, ahead of Italy, with Belgium now third and Türkiye still without a point. The group now heads toward its concluding fixtures with France firmly in control of qualification for the knockout phase.
What Comes Next
Belgium will look to respond when the Nations League resumes, with questions likely to follow over their late defensive collapse. For France, the focus shifts to building on a camp that blended the experience of senior stars with the emergence of Restes and Yoro, two names Zidane may lean on again as competitive football continues across Europe, including sides tracked by Canadian fans through the Premier League and other major leagues.