France national team head coach Zinedine Zidane has introduced a new tactical role for midfielder Eduardo Camavinga during their late victory against Belgium.
Camavinga played the full match as Zidane fielded an almost entirely changed starting lineup following a previous victory against Turkey, marking a significant return for the Real Madrid player after he was dropped from the World Cup squad by former manager Didier Deschamps.
France secured their victory when winger Michael Olise scored following a 70-metre run with just two minutes remaining in regulation time, prompting wild celebrations from Zidane after creating a crucial goal out of nothing to cap off the French performance.
The performance by the midfielder provides a potential blueprint for Real Madrid manager José Mourinho, whose side has experienced difficulties in central midfield in Spanish football.
Zidane, a three-time UEFA Champions League-winning manager with Real Madrid and 1998 World Cup winner as a player with France, returned to management to lead Les Bleus into a new international cycle following Deschamps' departure.
Tactical freedom in central midfield
Rather than anchoring Camavinga as a single holding midfielder under heavy pressure during ball build-up, Zidane partnered him alongside Da Cunha in a central midfield pairing that gave him freedom to roam across the pitch.
The tactical adjustment allowed Camavinga to utilize his trademark ball-carrying runs and sharp turns, qualities that had recently faded as costly errors put him under heavy criticism and created uncertainty over his future at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Camavinga delivered outstanding statistical figures over 90 minutes against Belgium, completing 62 of his 66 attempted passes to achieve a 94 percent accuracy rate while creating three goal-scoring opportunities and completing three out of four long pass attempts.
Defensively, he recovered six balls, won five duels, completed two clearances, and drew five fouls as he operated as a dynamic connector rather than remaining static at the base of midfield.
Camavinga joined Real Madrid from French club Rennes in August 2021 and established his reputation during his debut season, where his dynamic substitute appearances helped Madrid win both La Liga and the Champions League.
Implications for José Mourinho and Real Madrid
Mourinho could replicate Zidane's system at Real Madrid by shifting central creation duties to more technical teammates such as Bernardo Silva or Aurélien Tchouaméni, a player with whom Camavinga has rarely shared pitch time.
Real Madrid, based in the Chamartín district of Madrid, are European football's most successful club, while Portuguese manager Mourinho returned to lead the team having previously managed the Spanish giants between 2010 and 2013.
Camavinga's potential revival mirrors that of France teammate Ousmane Dembélé, who left FC Barcelona before winning the Ballon d'Or at Paris Saint-Germain after manager Luis Enrique motivated him to reach his peak form.
Zidane's arrival as France head coach could serve as the turning point for Camavinga to rediscover the dominant form that previously transformed major Champions League knockout ties during his early career in Spain.
International context and national team updates
In wider international football developments reported alongside the match, defender Aymeric Laporte reflected on his national team history, explaining that he had initially considered France his primary country before subsequent events led him to change that mindset.
Laporte, who was born in France, later acquired Spanish citizenship and became a central defender for the Spain national team in major international tournaments.
The international fixture schedule also featured action across Europe, with Spain competing against Croatia in matchday two of the UEFA Nations League.
