At the Stade de France, Belgium’s resistance vanished in the final quarter-hour as France swept to a 4-1 win on Monday, leaving Mark Van Bommel with a seventh straight defeat against Les Bleus and a growing qualification problem.
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The result has pushed Belgium down to third place in their Nations League group, putting their route to the quarter-finals in danger. Two earlier victories — 2-0 in Italy on 25 September and 3-0 against Turkey on Friday — have not eased the doubts around Van Bommel’s approach or his tactical set-up.
Belgium have repeatedly faded late in matches during this international window. Against France, they could not contain either the pressure or the individual quality once their resources began to run dry.
Van Bommel was not prepared to abandon his plan after the loss. He said the late collapse did not concern him in itself, arguing that his players have been working on a clear idea for only two weeks and must learn to sustain their intensity for a full 90 minutes.
The Belgium coach also pointed to a lack of club minutes for some members of his squad. He insisted there had been encouraging elements across the four matches, including two occasions when his side competed evenly with France, and stressed that the central target remains qualification for Euro 2028.
The rebuilding job has exposed a difficult goalkeeping picture. Maarten Vandevoordt’s first appearance for Belgium, after arriving from Leipzig, went badly. Senne Lammens had been reliable in the previous three fixtures, but Belgium do not currently have a third goalkeeper of comparable standard.
Thibaut Courtois remains the unquestioned first choice in the background and is expected to return in 2027. Belgium are also not yet ready to close the international careers of senior figures Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Courtois and Hans Vanaken.
There were positives in defence, where Nathan Ngoy and Brandon Mechele formed a solid and complementary central pairing. Even that partnership, however, could not halt France’s late surge in Saint-Denis, with Belgium’s midfield tiring badly.
Jeremy Doku’s absence through injury was another significant setback. Meanwhile, Van Bommel’s transition is bringing younger names further into the picture, including Lammens, Joaquin Seys, Ngoy, Romeo Lavia, Diego Moreira and Mika Godts.
One selection decision did not pay off. Lukaku started despite not playing for Fenerbahçe, and Belgium’s attack failed to make the choice work against a France side that had reached the World Cup semi-finals.
Van Bommel defended his players after the defeat, saying none had disappointed him. Belgium are eighth in the FIFA rankings, he noted, but the coach believes they must grow into a stronger nation — because at the European Championship, matches of this level will have to be won.
The next appointment: Euro 2028 qualification
For Van Bommel, the Nations League setback does not alter the wider objective. Belgium’s new generation must develop quickly enough to support the established leaders, improve their late-game endurance and turn competitive performances against elite opponents into results when the Euro 2028 qualifying campaign becomes the priority.
