Christopher Nkunku marked his return to the French national team with his maiden international goal, helping France secure a commanding 4-1 victory over Israel in their UEFA Nations League encounter on Thursday. The win narrows the gap between Les Bleus and Group A2 leaders Italy to just one point.
Playing in Hungary due to security concerns in Israel, France demonstrated their depth and resilience in the absence of captain Kylian Mbappe. Eduardo Camavinga opened the scoring for France in the 7th minute, capitalizing on a handling error by Israeli goalkeeper Omri Glazer.
Israel briefly leveled the match in the 24th minute through Omri Gandelman, who headed home from Oscar Gloukh’s long pass. However, France’s lead was quickly restored four minutes later when Nkunku, making his first appearance for the national team in nearly 10 months, skillfully evaded two defenders before slotting home a low shot.
The Chelsea forward’s goal was a highlight of a strong French performance that saw Matteo Guendouzi and Bradley Barcola add late strikes to seal the comprehensive victory. Guendouzi found the net with a low shot from outside the box, while Barcola contributed a curling effort in the penultimate minute.
France coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged the team’s transitional phase but expressed satisfaction with the result. “It’s always good to win. The atmosphere around the squad is not exactly pleasant,” Deschamps remarked, alluding to recent criticism of Mbappe’s absence. “It’s not perfect, we’re in a transition period but there are some good things, with players who have qualities and now need to confirm.”
The match also marked France’s first outing since Antoine Griezmann’s retirement from international football. Michael Olise, starting in Griezmann’s absence, showed promise but also revealed his inexperience at the international level.
With this victory, France moves to six points from three games in their Nations League campaign, trailing Italy by a single point. The result sets up an intriguing clash with Belgium in Brussels on Monday, as Les Bleus continue their pursuit of the group leaders.
The match, played in Hungary due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, underscored France’s depth and adaptability, as they convincingly overcame both the absence of key players and the challenges of a neutral venue.
