France’s comeback against Belgium sets new records as Olise makes history

France’s 4-1 win over Belgium in the Nations League was more than a striking comeback. The result produced a series of notable statistics, including a difficult run for Ousmane Dembele, a historic achievement for Michael Olise and an eighth consecutive competitive victory over their neighbours.

France overturned a half-time deficit by scoring four times after the break, with the decisive transformation coming within 14 minutes as Zinedine Zidane’s side and its attacking players took control of the fourth-round meeting.

According to French statistics network Stats Foot, Dembele has failed to register a goal or an assist in each of his last four appearances for France. His record during that run stands at “zero goals and zero assists”.

It is the forward’s longest sequence without a goal contribution for the national team since the period between November 2023 and September 2024, when he went nine matches without scoring or setting up a goal.

Olise, however, continued his remarkable start to his international career. Stats Foot said he had become “the first player in the history of the national team to contribute to goals in each of his first four matches under a new manager”.

The France player has contributed four goals and two assists across those four matches, making an immediate impact at the beginning of Zidane’s tenure.

Stats Foot also noted that Olise, with 11 goals and 11 assists, is the first France player since Youri Djorkaeff in 1997 to contribute to 22 goals in his first 29 internationals. Djorkaeff had contributed to 23 goals at the same stage, scoring 15 and providing eight assists.

Olise has scored four times for France against teams ranked in FIFA’s top 10. That equals David Trezeguet’s total of four such goals and puts him ahead of Dembele, who has scored three.

Desire Doue has also continued to produce an impressive winning record whenever he scores. Since joining Paris Saint-Germain, his record for club and country stands at “29 wins against one draw or one defeat”.

France’s comeback also ended a long wait for a particular result. The national team had not turned a half-time deficit into a victory since 7 October 2021, when the opponent was also Belgium.

The 4-1 scoreline marked the first time France had scored four goals in a match against Belgium since 28 June 1986, during the World Cup finals.

France’s latest success extended its dominance in competitive fixtures between the two teams, with eight consecutive victories. For the first time in the history of the head-to-head, France also moved ahead in total wins, leading Belgium 31-30.

The comeback therefore gave Les Bleus more than three points, adding several new landmarks to one of their most productive recent meetings with Belgium.