The UEFA Nations League match between France and Belgium on October 14, 2024, was a thrilling encounter that saw France edge out a 2-1 victory. Randal Kolo Muani stepped up in the absence of Kylian Mbappé, delivering an outstanding performance by scoring both goals for France. His first came from a penalty in the 35th minute after a handball by Belgium’s Wout Faes. Despite missing their captain and star player, France exhibited strong teamwork, particularly with Kolo Muani’s clinical finishing and contributions throughout the game.
Belgium, playing on home soil at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, started strong but were left frustrated after Youri Tielemans missed an early penalty. Lois Openda leveled the score for Belgium just before halftime after a lengthy VAR check confirmed the goal. However, their hopes of taking the lead were dashed when Kolo Muani headed in a second goal just after the hour mark, securing France’s advantage.
France’s defense was put to the test in the final moments when Aurelien Tchouameni received his second yellow card, leaving Les Bleus to play the last 15 minutes with ten men. Despite Belgium’s late push, including a series of efforts by Jeremy Doku and Leandro Trossard, they couldn’t find a way past France’s resolute defense, led by Mike Maignan’s goalkeeping efforts.
With this win, France moved to nine points in their group, just behind leaders Italy. Belgium, on the other hand, missed a chance to climb the standings and now face an uphill battle with only four points. The result puts France in a strong position to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Nations League.
