In the long theater of international football, Monday's match at the Stade de France offered a quiet lesson in patience and trust: a nation that looked defeated found its voice not in its stars, but in those waiting in the wings. Under a new manager carrying the weight of legend, France overturned a Belgian lead with a burst of late brilliance, winning 4-1 in a Nations League match that will be remembered less for its scoreline than for what it revealed about depth, timing, and the courage to change course.
France's Super-Subs Stun Belgium in Nations League Comeback
Three substitutes, four goals, thirteen minutes left to play
Mark
So Zidane comes in, draws with Italy, and then this happens—four goals in the last thirteen minutes. How much of that is just Belgium falling apart versus France executing a plan?
Mimi
It's both, but the substitutions were clearly the pivot. Doue, Cherki, and Olise weren't on the pitch for the first 77 minutes. Zidane brought them on and they immediately changed the game's shape. Whether Belgium tired or France's fresh legs just overwhelmed them, the result is the same: three different scorers in fifteen minutes.
Luke
But we should be careful about the narrative here. Belgium led 1-0 for most of the match. That's not nothing. We don't know if Zidane had this substitution plan from the start or if he was reacting to being down. The reporting doesn't tell us his thinking.
Mark
Fair point. What about Olise specifically? Two goals and an assist—that's a complete performance.
Mimi
He was the most prolific, yes. But Doue and Cherki both scored too. It wasn't a one-man show, even though Olise's numbers stand out.
Luke
Right, and we should note that this is a Nations League match, not a World Cup qualifier. The stakes are real but different. Belgium's loss here doesn't end their tournament hopes—they're still in the group.
Mark
Where does this leave France going forward?
Mimi
Top of the group with 10 points. Italy is three points back. The match in Milan next month is essentially a decider for first place, assuming both teams keep winning.
Luke
Assuming. Turkey is 0-4, so they're likely to lose again. But Italy beat Turkey 3-1, so the group is tightening. France's cushion is real but not insurmountable.
The Pulse
- Belgium arrived at the Stade de France with a 1-0 lead and the quiet confidence of a side that had done enough — Lukebakio's 35th-minute goal holding firm as France's starters struggled to respond.
- With Zidane's debut home match slipping away and doubts from a prior draw against Italy still fresh, the pressure on France's new manager to prove his vision was mounting by the minute.
- In the 77th minute, Zidane's substitutes rewrote the match entirely — Doue equalizing, Cherki finishing an Olise cross, and Olise himself scoring twice more to complete a 4-1 demolition built almost entirely in the final quarter-hour.
- Olise's two goals and an assist announced a bench capable of transforming games, signaling that France's greatest weapon under Zidane may be the players he holds back.
- France now leads Group A1 with 10 points, three clear of Italy, setting up a defining clash in Milan next month that could determine the group's final shape.
In the long theater of international football, Monday's match at the Stade de France offered a quiet lesson in patience and trust: a nation that looked defeated found its voice not in its stars, but in those waiting in the wings. Under a new manager carrying the weight of legend, France overturned a Belgian lead with a burst of late brilliance, winning 4-1 in a Nations League match that will be remembered less for its scoreline than for what it revealed about depth, timing, and the courage to change course.
Belgium had done the hard part. Dodi Lukebakio's goal in the 35th minute gave the visitors the lead, and as the match moved into its final stretch, France — still finding its footing under Zinedine Zidane, appointed just days earlier — looked unable to break through. Three days prior, his side had drawn 1-1 against Italy, and the same questions were beginning to resurface.
Then, with thirteen minutes left, Zidane turned to his bench. Desire Doue equalized in the 77th minute with a composed left-footed strike from the edge of the box. Four minutes later, Rayan Cherki converted a Michael Olise cross to put France ahead. The match had been turned on its head, and it was not finished. Olise scored twice more — once before stoppage time and again within it, the second arriving off a sharp counter initiated by Doue. The final score was 4-1, a statement assembled almost entirely by substitutes.
Olise was the evening's defining figure: two goals, one assist, and the kind of performance that reshapes a manager's thinking. Doue and Cherki were equally decisive. Together, they made the case that France's depth is not a fallback — it is a weapon.
Elsewhere, Italy beat Turkey 3-1, leaving France atop Group A1 with 10 points, three ahead of Italy and four clear of Belgium. Turkey remain winless. Next month, France travel to Milan to face Italy in what could reorder the group entirely. Zidane has his first home win, and a bench that has already proven it can change everything.
Belgium walked into the Stade de France on Monday with a lead and the upper hand. Dodi Lukebakio had put the visitors ahead in the 35th minute, and as the match wore on toward its final stretch, France looked stuck. Then, with thirteen minutes remaining, everything shifted.
Zinedine Zidane had taken over as France's manager just days earlier, and this was his first home match in charge. Three days before facing Belgium, his side had drawn 1-1 against Italy—a result that left questions about whether the new regime could deliver. Against Belgium, those questions seemed to linger as the clock ticked down. But Zidane had prepared something from the bench.
Desire Doue came on and equalized in the 77th minute with a left-footed strike from the edge of the box. Four minutes later, Rayan Cherki finished from a Michael Olise cross to put France ahead. The momentum had turned completely. Olise, who had also been a substitute, then scored twice more—once just before stoppage time and again during it, the second goal coming after a sharp counterattack that Doue had initiated with a precise pass. The final score was 4-1, a demolition built almost entirely in the final quarter-hour by players who had started the match on the sideline.
Olise's performance was the standout: two goals and an assist, the kind of impact that changes how a manager thinks about his options. Doue and Cherki had been equally decisive. It was a statement about depth, about timing, and about Zidane's willingness to trust his alternatives when the starting eleven was not breaking through.
Elsewhere in Group A1, Italy beat Turkey 3-1. Gianluca Scamacca, Riccardo Calafiori, and Pio Esposito scored for the Italians, while Aral Simsir had equalized for Turkey just after the hour mark. That result left France atop the group with 10 points, three ahead of Italy and four clear of Belgium. Turkey, winless in four matches, sat at the bottom with four defeats.
France's next fixture will be in Milan against Italy next month—a match that could reshape the group's hierarchy. After that comes a home game against Turkey. For now, Zidane has his first home win, and a bench that has proven it can turn a match in minutes.
Notable Quotes
Zidane secured his first home win in charge, three days after a 1-1 draw against Italy, thanks to his substitutes— Match context
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