PARIS, France, October 6, 2026: France spent 76 minutes looking capable of losing at home to Belgium. Fourteen minutes later, they had scored four times and turned the most important match of Monday’s UEFA Nations League schedule into a demonstration of why squad depth can decide international football.
Désiré Doué equalized. Rayan Cherki put France ahead. Michael Olise then scored twice as Zinédine Zidane’s side transformed a 1-0 deficit into a 4-1 victory and moved three points clear at the top of League A Group 1.
That was only the loudest development across eight completed matches.
Italy beat Türkiye 3-1 and climbed into second behind France. Viktor Gyökeres scored the only goal in Romania as Sweden remained unbeaten and protected first place in League B Group 4. Bosnia and Herzegovina stayed two points behind them with a late 1-0 win against Poland.
Story at a glance
UEFA Nations League Results From October 5, 2026
The full results are confirmed in UEFA’s official Matchday 4 roundup.
France 4-1 Belgium: Zidane’s Bench Wins the Match
Belgium had every reason to believe they were leaving Paris with something.
What France’s Win Does to Group A1
France are three points ahead of Italy and four clear of Belgium.
Italy 3-1 Türkiye: Mancini’s Recovery Continues
Italy’s campaign began with a damaging 2-0 home defeat against Belgium.
Northern Ireland 0-0 Georgia: Another Clean Sheet, but Two Points Escape
Northern Ireland remain unbeaten.
Hungary reversed their opening Nations League defeat to Ukraine by winning 2-1 in Trnava, moving within one point of Northern Ireland after Michael O’Neill’s side were held 0-0 by Georgia despite a late penalty opportunity.
Cyprus came from behind to beat Latvia 2-1 with a stoppage-time winner, while Montenegro’s perfect start ended in a scoreless draw against Armenia.
Across the eight matches, 17 goals were scored. Nine came from France-Belgium and Italy-Türkiye alone, meaning League A Group 1 supplied 52.9% of Monday’s goals.
The Sports Encounter had already tracked how quickly this compressed Nations League window was creating separation in our complete Matchday 2 standings analysis. Monday pushed several groups much closer to decisions with only two league-phase matches remaining.
UEFA Nations League Results From October 5, 2026
| League | Group | Match | Result | Defining Moment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C2 | Cyprus vs Latvia | 2-1 | Marcus Edwards scored in the 94th minute |
| A | A1 | France vs Belgium | 4-1 | France scored four times in 14 second-half minutes |
| A | A1 | Italy vs Türkiye | 3-1 | Riccardo Calafiori restored Italy’s lead after Türkiye equalized |
| B | B2 | Northern Ireland vs Georgia | 0-0 | Giorgi Mamardashvili saved Isaac Price’s late penalty |
| B | B2 | Ukraine vs Hungary | 1-2 | Márk Csinger won it in the 85th minute |
| B | B4 | Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Poland | 1-0 | Ivan Bašić converted an 84th-minute penalty |
| B | B4 | Romania vs Sweden | 0-1 | Viktor Gyökeres struck in the 13th minute |
| C | C2 | Montenegro vs Armenia | 0-0 | Stefan Lončar was sent off late |
The full results are confirmed in UEFA’s official Matchday 4 roundup.
France 4-1 Belgium: Zidane’s Bench Wins the Match
Belgium had every reason to believe they were leaving Paris with something.
Dodi Lukébakio gave the visitors the lead in the first half, and France reached the final quarter of an hour still without an equalizer.
Then Zidane’s substitutions changed everything.
Doué struck from range in the 77th minute.
Cherki quickly made it 2-1.
Olise then scored twice as Belgium collapsed from leading to losing by three.
All four French scorers came from the bench.
That is the most important tactical lesson from the result.
France were without Kylian Mbappé, yet Zidane could introduce players capable of changing the speed, positioning and finishing quality of the attack almost immediately.
TSE saw that attacking depth throughout the World Cup, where Michael Olise ranked among the tournament’s leading performers because of his ability to create and score from several attacking positions.
Michael Olise Joins the Nations League Top-Scorer Pack
Olise’s brace takes him to four goals in the competition.
He now shares the scoring lead with Viktor Gyökeres, Harry Kane, Troy Parrott, Leo Walta and Lamine Yamal.
Olise has scored in each of France’s last three Nations League matches: against Belgium away, Italy at home and Belgium again on Monday.
France have therefore found a goalscorer who is also one of their primary creators.
What France’s Win Does to Group A1
| Pos. | Team | P | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 4 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 10 |
| 2 | Italy | 4 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 7 |
| 3 | Belgium | 4 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 6 |
| 4 | Türkiye | 4 | 2 | 11 | -9 | 0 |
France are three points ahead of Italy and four clear of Belgium.
Türkiye can now reach a maximum of six points, while Italy already have seven. That mathematically ends Türkiye’s quarterfinal hopes.
France have not qualified yet because both Italy and Belgium remain capable of finishing above them over the final two games.
The next fixture is particularly important: Italy host France on November 12.
Italy 3-1 Türkiye: Mancini’s Recovery Continues
Italy’s campaign began with a damaging 2-0 home defeat against Belgium.
Three matches later, the Azzurri are second.
Gianluca Scamacca gave Italy the lead before halftime against Türkiye.
Aral Şimşir equalized after the break, but Calafiori came from the bench and headed Italy back in front before Pio Esposito secured the points late.
The victory also gave Roberto Mancini his first home win since returning as Italy coach.
Italy have taken seven points from the nine available since losing their opener.
That recovery began with the 4-1 victory in Türkiye that featured in TSE’s Matchday 2 report.
The rematch confirmed that the first result was not an isolated attacking performance.
Northern Ireland 0-0 Georgia: Another Clean Sheet, but Two Points Escape
Northern Ireland remain unbeaten.
They also remain without a goal conceded after four Nations League matches.
Those two facts should make a goalless home draw feel positive.
It does not entirely.
Michael O’Neill’s team had a late penalty and the opportunity to create a three-point cushion at the top of League B Group 2.
Giorgi Mamardashvili saved Isaac Price’s kick.
Georgia survived.
Northern Ireland had beaten Georgia 1-0 away, drawn 0-0 with Hungary and then produced their best result of the campaign by defeating Ukraine 3-0.
Four games have therefore produced four clean sheets and eight points.
The defensive achievement is substantial.
The missed penalty kept Hungary within touching distance.
Georgia Still Have Not Scored
Georgia have played four Nations League matches and scored zero goals.
Yet two goalless draws have given them two points.
Their campaign now reads:
- Georgia 0-1 Northern Ireland
- Georgia 0-0 Ukraine
- Hungary 1-0 Georgia
- Northern Ireland 0-0 Georgia
Four games, no goals scored, only two conceded.
That makes Georgia one of the strangest statistical teams in the competition.
Ukraine 1-2 Hungary: Csinger Turns Group B2 Into a Two-Team Chase
Hungary’s first meeting with Ukraine ended in a 1-0 defeat.
The return fixture changed the group.
Milán Tóth put Hungary ahead in the 52nd minute.
Roman Yaremchuk equalized for Ukraine in the 83rd.
The response took only two minutes.
Márk Csinger scored in the 85th to restore Hungary’s lead and secure their second consecutive victory.
The result pushes Marco Rossi’s side to seven points, one behind Northern Ireland.
| Pos. | Team | P | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Ireland | 4 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 8 |
| 2 | Hungary | 4 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 7 |
| 3 | Ukraine | 4 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 4 |
| 4 | Georgia | 4 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 2 |
That table looked completely different after two games, when Northern Ireland and Ukraine were level on four points and Hungary had only one. TSE documented that early shape in our first full standings analysis.
The group may now come down to the November 17 meeting between Hungary and Northern Ireland.
Romania 0-1 Sweden: Gyökeres Scores Again
Viktor Gyökeres needed only 13 minutes.
Sebastian Nanasi struck the post after Alexander Bernhardsson’s cross, and Gyökeres reacted quickest to finish from close range.
That was enough.
Romania improved after the break and forced goalkeeper Viktor Johansson to work, but Sweden protected the lead and moved onto 10 points from four games.
The goal carried a larger personal significance.
Gyökeres has now scored in seven consecutive Nations League matches, a competition record streak, and has four goals in the current campaign.
He therefore joined Olise and the other four-goal leaders on Monday.
Sweden’s attacking ceiling was already visible at the World Cup, even during the volatility TSE examined in our France-Sweden World Cup preview. Under Graham Potter, the Nations League side has become considerably more consistent.
Bosnia 1-0 Poland: Bašić Keeps Pressure on Sweden
Sweden’s victory meant Bosnia and Herzegovina could not afford to let Poland escape with a point.
For 83 minutes, the match remained scoreless.
Ivan Bašić then converted from the penalty spot in the 84th minute.
That goal keeps Bosnia unbeaten and only two points behind Sweden.
| Pos. | Team | P | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweden | 4 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 10 |
| 2 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 4 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 8 |
| 3 | Poland | 4 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 4 |
| 4 | Romania | 4 | 3 | 13 | -10 | 0 |
Sweden and Bosnia meet directly on November 14.
That is now the obvious group final before the final matchday.
League B group winners earn automatic promotion to League A, while runners-up enter the League A/B promotion-relegation playoffs under the revised 2026-27 format.
Romania’s Four Defeats Have Removed Any Margin
Romania’s problem is no longer one bad result.
They have lost all four Nations League matches.
They have conceded 13 goals.
Six of those came in the extraordinary 6-0 defeat against Poland three days before the Sweden game.
The 1-0 defeat was more respectable.
The table is not.
Romania can no longer finish in the top two because Bosnia already have eight points while Romania can reach only six.
The final two fixtures are therefore about avoiding the bottom position and the consequences attached to it.
Cyprus 2-1 Latvia: Marcus Edwards Wins It in the 94th Minute
Cyprus have quietly transformed their League C campaign.
Latvia took the lead through Eduards Daškevičs in the 57th minute.
Substitute Ioannis Kosti equalized in the 70th.
Then Marcus Edwards scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time to complete the comeback.
Cyprus began the competition with a 2-1 defeat in Montenegro and followed it with a 0-0 draw in Latvia.
They have now beaten Armenia and Latvia in consecutive games.
Seven points from four matches gives them a genuine promotion route.
Montenegro 0-0 Armenia: Perfect Start Ends, but the Lead Survives
Montenegro had won their first three Nations League matches.
Armenia finally stopped them.
The match remained goalless, and Montenegro had to finish with 10 players after Stefan Lončar was sent off in the 86th minute for serious foul play.
Armenia could not take advantage in the remaining minutes.
The point still keeps Montenegro clear at the top of C2.
| Pos. | Team | P | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montenegro | 4 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 10 |
| 2 | Cyprus | 4 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 7 |
| 3 | Armenia | 4 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 4 |
| 4 | Latvia | 4 | 2 | 6 | -4 | 1 |
Montenegro remain favorites for automatic promotion to League B, but Cyprus are only three points behind and host Montenegro on the final matchday.
The broader League C promotion race has been volatile throughout this window. TSE’s coverage of Finland, Belarus, Moldova and the Faroe Islands showed how quickly one draw can change the shape of a six-match campaign.
Who Were the Best Performers of the Night?
Michael Olise, France
Two goals off the bench completed France’s comeback and moved Olise into a share of the Nations League scoring lead.
Rayan Cherki, France
Cherki’s goal was the moment France moved from recovery into control. His introduction added direct running and combination play around the Belgian penalty area.
Viktor Gyökeres, Sweden
One early goal decided the match and extended his competition-record scoring run to seven consecutive Nations League appearances.
Giorgi Mamardashvili, Georgia
Georgia still cannot score, but their goalkeeper secured a point by saving Price’s late penalty at Windsor Park.
Márk Csinger, Hungary
Ukraine had just equalized and appeared to have rescued a point. Csinger answered within two minutes.
Marcus Edwards, Cyprus
A 94th-minute winner turned a draw into three points and moved Cyprus firmly into the C2 promotion race.
Who Had the Most Disappointing Night?
Belgium
Leading in Paris with less than 15 minutes left should have produced at least a point.
Instead, Belgium conceded four times.
The defeat drops them from one point behind France before Matchday 4 to four behind them afterward.
Continue the Soccer Story
Türkiye
Four matches have produced four defeats, two goals scored and 11 conceded.
The quarterfinal race is mathematically over.
Ukraine
Ukraine opened the campaign with four points from two matches.
They have since lost 3-0 to Northern Ireland and 2-1 to Hungary.
Four points now leave them four behind the group leaders.
Romania
Romania have lost all four matches and are already out of the top-two race.
Poland
A 6-0 victory over Romania appeared to revive the campaign.
Three days later, Poland failed to score in Bosnia and remain four points behind second place.
What Does Monday Tell Us About the Nations League?
The strongest pattern is separation.
France have a three-point lead in A1.
Northern Ireland and Hungary are beginning to pull away from Ukraine and Georgia in B2.
Sweden and Bosnia have separated themselves from Poland and Romania in B4.
Montenegro and Cyprus now have a clear advantage over Armenia and Latvia in C2.
The competition’s compressed opening window has accelerated these gaps. UEFA scheduled four matchdays between September 24 and October 6, something TSE highlighted before the competition began in our opening Nations League guide.
Teams have had almost no time to hide bad results.
That is why Türkiye, Romania and Ukraine have moved from concern to genuine table trouble in less than two weeks.
How Does the 2026-27 Nations League Format Change the Stakes?
The 2026-27 edition has added another layer because UEFA is transitioning toward a three-league structure from 2028-29.
League A’s group winners and runners-up advance to the quarterfinals.
League B group winners earn automatic promotion to League A, while the runners-up enter promotion-relegation playoffs.
League C group winners earn automatic promotion to League B, while the runners-up also reach playoffs.
UEFA explains the revised system in its official 2026-27 competition guide.
That makes Sweden-Bosnia and Cyprus-Montenegro particularly important next month.
First place carries automatic promotion.
Second creates another route.
What Are the Biggest Nations League Matches Still to Come?
| Date | Fixture | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| November 12 | Italy vs France | Direct battle at the top of A1 |
| November 12 | Türkiye vs Belgium | Belgium need points to protect the quarterfinal race |
| November 14 | Northern Ireland vs Ukraine | NI can tighten control of B2; Ukraine need a recovery |
| November 14 | Sweden vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | First vs second in B4 |
| November 15 | Belgium vs Italy | Could directly determine A1’s second quarterfinal place |
| November 15 | Cyprus vs Montenegro | Potential C2 promotion decider |
| November 17 | Hungary vs Northern Ireland | Could decide B2 first place |
| November 17 | Poland vs Sweden | Could still carry promotion implications |
UEFA’s complete fixture list confirms that the league phase resumes November 12 and concludes November 17.
The Sports Encounter’s October 4 Nations League report already showed Portugal becoming the first quarterfinalist and the Netherlands taking control of A2.
Monday did not produce another confirmed quarterfinalist.
It did produce several teams that are now one result away from transforming strong starts into something much more valuable.
UEFA Nations League October 5 FAQs
What Were the Nations League Results on October 5, 2026?
Cyprus beat Latvia 2-1, France beat Belgium 4-1, Italy beat Türkiye 3-1, Northern Ireland drew 0-0 with Georgia, Hungary beat Ukraine 2-1, Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Poland 1-0, Sweden beat Romania 1-0 and Montenegro drew 0-0 with Armenia.
Who Leads Nations League Group A1?
France lead with 10 points, followed by Italy on seven and Belgium on six.
How Many Goals Did Michael Olise Score Against Belgium?
Olise scored twice after coming off the bench.
Who Are the Nations League Top Scorers?
Michael Olise and Viktor Gyökeres moved onto four goals, joining Harry Kane, Troy Parrott, Leo Walta and Lamine Yamal.
Has Northern Ireland Conceded a Goal?
No. Northern Ireland have conceded zero goals through four League B Group 2 matches.
Who Leads League B Group 2?
Northern Ireland lead with eight points, one ahead of Hungary.
Who Leads League B Group 4?
Sweden lead with 10 points, two ahead of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Who Leads League C Group 2?
Montenegro lead with 10 points. Cyprus are second with seven.
Are Türkiye Eliminated From the Nations League Quarterfinal Race?
Yes. Türkiye can reach only six points, while second-placed Italy already have seven.
When Does the Nations League Resume?
The next wave of league-phase matches begins November 12, 2026, with the final round completed by November 17.
