Van Bommel: "We need time to match teams like France"

Belgium suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat against France in the Nations League and head coach Mark van Bommel offered an honest assessment of the situation: his side is not yet ready to go toe to toe with the best teams on the continent. Far from turning the result into a drama, the Dutchman highlighted the progress made by his players and pointed to the European Championship in two years as the true benchmark.

• Belgium lost 4-1 to France in the Nations League.
• Van Bommel admits his team still needs time to compete at the level of the top nations.
• The Belgium coach prefers to focus on the positives from the last four matches.
• The main target is not this competition but being ready for the next European Championship.
• Belgium currently sit ninth in the FIFA ranking.

Van Bommel's honest verdict after France's 4-1 win

The Belgium boss did not hide the reality of the game, but he also refused to dwell only on the defeat. Van Bommel reminded everyone that his team competed well for long stretches and that the final scoreline does not fully reflect what happened on the pitch. "We matched them for a large part of the match, just like in Brussels. We had a good first half, scored a good goal, created chances and held firm with a low block. At times we controlled the game," he explained.

The trouble came late on, when the individual quality of the world champions tipped the game in their favor. "They have a lot of quality and they brought on three very good players," said Van Bommel, aware that France's squad depth makes the difference in the closing stages.

Positive balance despite Nations League setback

Van Bommel put the defeat into perspective and defended the work done throughout the camp. "I am satisfied with what we did. We did not suffer a heavy defeat, I think we played well and we trained well over these two weeks. It is a shame what happened in the last fifteen minutes," he said.

His assessment of the full four-match cycle reinforces the idea that this is a project still under construction. "Across the four matches there are more positives than negatives," he insisted, making clear that there is room for improvement but the direction is the right one.

Belgium's plan to beat the top nations

To beat the big nations you have to perform at a very high level for the whole match. Even though we are ninth in the FIFA ranking, there are teams above us and we are working to grow. It is a matter of time before we can beat big teams.

The Belgian coach put into perspective the gap between his squad and the best sides in the world. France are World Cup semi-finalists and boast an attacking arsenal that is hard to match. Belgium, despite sitting ninth in the FIFA ranking, still have steps to climb before joining that elite group. Van Bommel insists time is on their side.

The European Championship in two years is Belgium's real target

The Nations League is not a priority for Van Bommel, although that does not mean his side approaches it without competitiveness. "This competition is not a target. That will come in two years. But it is not a friendly either," he clarified. Belgium still have a chance of qualification and the coach insists they will not throw in the towel in the remainder of the tournament.

Van Bommel's message outlines a clear horizon: arrive at the European Championship with a team capable of challenging anyone. "The European Championship comes in two years and we will have to be ready to beat them," he warned. The coach never expected his side to sweep France away on their own ground, but he did want to confirm that the path they are on is the right one.

Optimism about Belgium's future

Despite the defeat, Van Bommel ends this international window with mixed feelings but a solid sense of confidence. "We have made progress over these two weeks, but we were not going to pretend we could sweep France in their stadium. They are World Cup semi-finalists and at times we matched them," he summed up.

His optimism is built on clear facts: a team that competes for long spells against the best, improves its cohesion and still has room to fine-tune key details. Belgium's next major test is not immediate, but the groundwork has already started.