Nations League Drama: France Stun Belgium with Late Blitz as Haaland Injury Fears Cloud Portugal Win

France staged a remarkable late comeback to defeat Belgium in the Nations League, scoring four goals in the final thirteen minutes to secure a commanding victory. Under the leadership of head coach Zinedine Zidane, Les Bleus overcame an early deficit following Dodi Lukebakio’s opener. Desire Doue ignited the comeback before Rayan Cherki put France ahead, and Michael Olise sealed the win with a clinical brace. This result leaves France atop Group A1 with 10 points, followed closely by Italy, who moved into second place after securing a 3-1 victory against Turkey.

Meanwhile, Portugal maintained their position at the top of their group with a 2-1 win over Norway, though the victory was overshadowed by an injury scare involving Erling Haaland. The Manchester City striker limped off in the 67th minute, leaving club and country awaiting updates ahead of upcoming domestic fixtures. Despite Haaland's exit, Portugal found a winner through Goncalo Ramos in the 79th minute. In the aftermath, Portugal coach Jorge Jesus emphasized that the door remains open for Cristiano Ronaldo to return to the squad after the veteran forward recently departed the camp following a stint as an unused substitute.

In other Nations League action, the Netherlands secured a 2-1 win over Serbia to take control of their group. Joshua Zirkzee came off the bench to net the winning goal from a Tijjani Reijnders pass, marking a successful outing for head coach Xavi. The match was also a milestone for captain Virgil van Dijk, who earned his 100th international cap. In contrast, Jurgen Klopp’s tenure as Germany manager saw a frustrating stalemate as his side was held to a 0-0 draw by Greece. Despite dominating with over 70% possession and 21 shots, Germany remains three points behind the unbeaten Greek side in Group A2.

The international window also featured a devastating 7-0 victory for England over Croatia, a result that left Croatian captain Luka Modric admitting he felt deep shame over his team's lack of aggression. Elsewhere, Wales manager Craig Bellamy voiced frustrations regarding the new four-match international schedule following a narrow 1-0 defeat to Denmark. Bellamy argued that the heavy workload disproportionately affects smaller nations with limited player resources. As the tournament progresses, these results have significantly shifted the group dynamics, leaving teams like Croatia and Norway under immense pressure to recover in the final rounds.