France vs Belgium Football History: Head-to-Head & Rivalry

In 2018 at Petersburg, six minutes into the second half of a World Cup semi-final, Samuel Umtiti headed in Antoine Griezmann's corner. France won the game 1-0, and Belgium's big chance at a World Cup final was gone. 

That's the pattern in France vs Belgium football history. Belgium's golden generation was brilliant, but France has won every meeting at a major tournament. This includes the 2018 semi-final, the 2021 Nations League semi-final, and the last 16 at Euro 2024. 

France vs Belgium Head-to-Head Record at a Glance 

Their record is level. The two countries have met 79 times since 1904. France have won 30, Belgium have won 30, and 19 of those games have ended in draws. 

Belgium leads on goals, mostly because of their big wins in the early years. RSSSF’s record has Belgium on 163 goals and France on 136 goals up to October 2024. But the recent games have been won by the French, with 6 straight wins since Belgium's 4-3 win in Paris in 2015.

If you want to collect shirts from these fixtures, you can start with our international retro shirts.

Key France vs Belgium Matches 

The First International: 1904 to 1938

On 1 May 1904, Belgium and France drew 3-3 on Uccle, Brussels, in the first official international for both countries. This was three weeks before FIFA was founded. It was also the first official international between two European nations outside Britain, and only about 1,400 people turned up.

Belgium won most of the games in the early years. They won the next two meetings 7-0 and 5-0, and before the First World War France won just two of 11 games. 

The 1938 World Cup gave France a big one on home soil. At Colombes, Emile Veinante scored in the first minute, and Jean Nicolas added two on either side of Henri Isemborgh’s goal. In the end, France won 3-1 in front of 30,454 people. 

Belgium vs France players at the 1938 World Cup. Source: FFF

Platini’s France

At Euro 1984 in Nantes, Michel Platini was unplayable. He scored in the fourth minute, Alain Giresse and Luis Fernandez made it 3-0 by halftime. Platini finished his hat-trick with a penalty and a last-minute header. France beat Belgium 5-0, and France went on to win the tournament.

Two years later, the sides met in the World Cup third-place playoff in Puebla. Jean-Marc Ferreri and Jean-Pierre Papin scored for France, and Jan Ceulemans for Belgium. The game later went to extra time, where Bernard Genghini and Manuel Amoros finished it off. A 2018 review of the game called it the only third-place game to have run that long. 

Golden Generation vs World Champions: 2015 to 2024 

2015 Friendly in Paris

Belgium's statement came at the Stade de France in June 2015. Fellaini scored twice before halftime, then Radja Nainggolan and an Eden Hazard penalty put Belgium out of sight. Mathieu Valbuena, Nabil Fekir and Dimitri Payet, on 89 minutes, gave France a late scare, but Belgium held on for a 4-3 win.

Marouane Fellaini scored twice for Belgium as players celebrate. Source: UEFA

2018 World Cup Semi-Final 

Then came St Petersburg. Thierry Henry sat on Belgium's bench as Roberto Martinez's assistant since 2016. Oliver Giroud said before the game that Henry was in the wrong camp. Umtiti's 51st-minute header settled it, and France went on to win the World Cup. 

2021 Nations League Semi-Final 

In Turin, Belgium led 2-0 at halftime through Yannick Carrasco and Romelu Lukaku. Karim Benzema pulled one back, Kylian Mbappe scored a penalty, and Paul Pogba hit the post with a free-kick. Lukaku also had a late goal ruled out for offside, and Theo Hernandez won it at 90 minutes. Theo and his brother Lucas became the first brothers to play together for France since 1974. France went on to win the final.

Euro 2024 Last 16

In Düsseldorf, it took 85 minutes before anyone could score. Randal Kolo Muani's shot deflected in off Jan Vertonghen, and Mike Maignan stopped late chances from Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne. It was France's third straight win over Belgium. 

Those games produced some memorable moments. You can look through our France retro kits, Belgium retro kits, and other World Cup jerseys to get shirts from those games.

Kolo Muani and Jules Kounde celebrate in a France vs Belgium Euro 2024 Last 16 match. Source: Sky Sports

France vs Belgium Since Euro 2024 

The 2024-25 Nations League put them in the same group. France won 2-0 in Lyon, with Kolo Muani scoring in the 29th minute and Ousmane Dembele in the 57th. Then came a 2-1 win in Brussels, where Kolo Muani scored twice despite Aurelien Tchouameni's red card. That made it five wins in a row over Belgium. 

They were drawn together again in 2026-27. On 28 September, a substitute Michael Olise curled in an 88th-minute winner at the King Baudouin Stadium for a 1-0 win. This was Zinedine Zidane's second straight win as France coach. The return match is on 5 October at the Stade de France. 

Neighbours and Crossovers

Henry isn't the only Frenchman to coach Belgium. Rudi Garcia took the job in January 2025 and led them to the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals before Mark van Bommel replaced him in July 2026. 

Sports Illustrated once called the two countries half-siblings that share bits of their history, language, and flag. Plenty of Belgians also grew up in French football. Hazard spent five seasons at Lille, won the 2010-11 double, and was Ligue 1 Player of the Year twice. Thomas Meunier played for PSG, Carrasco and Youri Tielemans for Monaco, Loïs Openda for Lens, and Jérémy Doku for Rennes, among others. 

England matters in this conversation too. At the 2018 World Cup, 17 of the 46 players in the two squads played their club football there. You can trace those careers through our Ligue 1 shirts and Premier League shirts. 

Trophy Comparison: France vs Belgium

France leads this comfortably. Belgium's best World Cup finish is third in 2018, and they went out to Spain in the 2026 quarter-finals. At the Euros, they were runners-up in 1980. Both have Olympic gold.

France vs Belgium FAQs

Who has won more games, France or Belgium? 

Neither. In 79 meetings, France and Belgium have won 30 each, with 19 draws.

What was the score in France vs Belgium at the 2018 World Cup? 

France won the semi-final 1-0 in St Petersburg on 10 July 2018. Samuel Umtiti scored the only goal of the match.

When did France and Belgium first play each other?

On 1 May 1904 in Uccle, Brussels. It was the first international for both nations, and the game finished 3-3. 

Has Belgium ever beaten France at a major tournament? 

No. France has won every meeting at the World Cup, European Championship, or Nations League. 

Conclusion

In recent years, France have been beating Belgium at tournaments, but the overall record shows how close this fixture has been for 122 years. The next meeting is 5 October at Stade de France. Meanwhile, you can browse our retro football shirts, or contact us if you can't find the one you want.