Belgium came from behind to beat Türkiye 2-1 in Izmir on Thursday, 12 November 2026, with Kevin De Bruyne and Charles De Ketelaere scoring three minutes apart in the first half of their UEFA Nations League Group A1 match.

The result confirmed Türkiye's relegation from League A and kept Belgium's hopes of reaching the quarter-finals alive going into Sunday's final round of group matches.

Güler's stunning free-kick

The match was Türkiye's first under new head coach Sergen Yalçın, and it began perfectly for the hosts. In the 20th minute, Real Madrid midfielder Arda Güler curled a superb free-kick from around 30 yards around the Belgium wall and into the top-left corner to give Türkiye the lead at the Gürsel Aksel Stadium.

Belgium's response was swift and decisive. Jeremy Doku tricked his way past his marker on the left and centred the ball for De Bruyne, who crashed a first-time finish high into the net to level the score in the 27th minute.

Belgium's three-minute turnaround

Three minutes later Belgium were in front. After Diego Moreira's close-range effort was saved, Maxim De Cuyper worked the ball back into a dangerous area and De Ketelaere converted from close range to complete the comeback. The 2-1 scoreline survived the second half, with Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens making a late save in stoppage time as Türkiye pressed for an equaliser.

Relegation confirmed for Türkiye

The defeat leaves Türkiye rock bottom of Group A1 without a point from five matches, and their relegation from the top tier of the Nations League is now confirmed. Belgium, meanwhile, climbed to second place in the group, keeping their bid for a quarter-final place alive ahead of Sunday's final round of fixtures.