In France, Belgium left the Nations League with a 4-1 defeat but without abandoning the longer view. Mark Van Bommel saw enough in his side’s resistance, particularly before the closing stages, to insist that the route towards the next European Championship remains more important than one difficult night against World Cup semi-finalists.
A competitive opening before France pulled away
- Belgium matched France for long spells, Van Bommel said, much as they had done in Brussels earlier in the campaign.
- His team produced a strong first half, scored what he described as a fine goal and created further opportunities.
- Belgium also defended deep effectively at times and, in certain passages, controlled possession and the rhythm of the match.
- France’s depth ultimately made the difference. Their introduction of three high-quality players added another level, and Belgium suffered in the final 15 minutes as the score reached 4-1.
Van Bommel was nevertheless encouraged by the overall display. He felt Belgium had not been comprehensively overwhelmed and said the group had worked well across the previous two weeks.
“We were able to compete with them for much of the match, as we did in Brussels,” he said. “We had a good first half, scored well, had chances and held our shape in a low block. At times we controlled the game, but they have enormous quality and brought on three very good players.”
Euro 2028 remains the larger destination
The Belgium coach framed the Nations League as part of a longer process rather than the team’s final measure of success. Belgium remain ninth in the FIFA rankings, but Van Bommel acknowledged that several leading international sides are still ahead of them.
“To beat the major nations, you have to perform at a very high level for the entire game,” he said. “We are ninth in the FIFA ranking, but there are national teams above us. We are working to improve. It is a matter of time before we can beat the big teams.”
With the next European Championship two years away, Van Bommel said Belgium must be ready to defeat elite opposition when that tournament arrives. He described the four matches played during this period as containing more encouraging elements than negative ones.
“I am satisfied with what we did,” he said. “It is a shame what happened in the final quarter-hour, but across the four games there have been more positives than negatives.”
Belgium have not given up on progressing from the Nations League, with qualification still possible, but Van Bommel made clear that the competition is neither the ultimate target nor a series of casual fixtures.
“That does not mean we do not want to qualify; we still can,” he said. “But this competition is not the objective. That comes in two years. At the same time, it is not a friendly tournament.”
For now, the coach’s conclusion from the trip to France was one of guarded confidence. Belgium have progressed during their training camp, he said, but were never likely to dominate France in their own stadium. Against opponents who reached the World Cup semi-finals, Van Bommel believes his side showed enough to remain optimistic about what comes next.
