Olise Powers France to Win Over Belgium in Nations League

Michael Olise came off the bench to inspire France to a remarkable 4-1 comeback victory over Belgium in the UEFA Nations League on Monday.

Belgium stunned the hosts by taking the lead in the 35th minute when Dodi Lukebakio raced through the French defence and calmly finished after receiving a superb pass from Romeo Lavia.

France dominated possession but struggled to break down Belgium’s defensive setup during the opening half. The hosts went into the break trailing despite creating several opportunities.

The game changed after the introduction of Olise and Rayan Cherki in the second half. France became more threatening in attack, eventually finding the equaliser through Désiré Doué in the 77th minute.

Four minutes later, Olise produced the decisive moment, delivering a cross that Cherki converted to put France ahead.

Olise then took centre stage himself, scoring France’s third goal in the 88th minute before adding another in stoppage time to complete the comeback.

His performance earned widespread praise as France scored four times in the final 13 minutes to turn a difficult match into a convincing victory.

The result also strengthened Zinedine Zidane’s unbeaten start as France coach and gave him his first home victory since taking charge of the national team.

France had already defeated Belgium 1-0 in Brussels earlier in the international window, with Olise scoring the late winner in that encounter.

The latest victory moved France to the top of Nations League Group A1 with 10 points, three ahead of Italy. Belgium remained third on six points, while Türkiye are bottom without a point after four matches.

France played without captain Kylian Mbappé, while Belgium were missing suspended stars Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans.

Olise’s display further underlined his growing importance to the French team. The Bayern Munich winger had entered the match from the bench but finished with two goals and an assist, playing a central role in one of France’s most impressive late comebacks in recent Nations League history.