Euro Juniors 2026: France vs Belgium for 5th place
At Euro Juniors 2026, the French junior women responded impressively after a disappointing defeat in the group stage. The Bleuettes, as the Tricolore squad is known at youth level, had to bury their title dreams following the final group match against Italy. Instead of falling into resignation, they produced their best performance on Friday morning against the Netherlands, sweeping to a 3-0 victory. That sets up a fifth-place showdown on Saturday against Belgium, who also beat Estonia with little trouble.
A group stage of highs and lows
The French team's path through the preliminary round was anything but straightforward. An emphatic win against Estonia initially raised hopes of a strong final ranking. However, two defeats followed in subsequent matches: against Sweden, who blocked the path to the semi-finals, and finally against Italy on the closing group day. With that setback, it was clear the Bleuettes would no longer compete for the title. Still, the goal remained to finish the tournament on a positive note and secure the best possible position in the classification match.
That motivation was evident on Friday. From the outset, the French team looked focused and determined not to let their opponents have the final word in the group phase. The Netherlands, who had mixed results in the preliminary round themselves, faced a side ready to turn every rally into a statement.
Three wins, no reply in the team contest
The first doubles brought the hoped-for lead. Élise Le Roux and Lylwenn Laforge faced Panhuizen and Bakker and delivered an intense match from the start. The opening set developed into a tight battle decided only in the tie-break – 7-6 for the French pair. In the second set, Le Roux and Laforge pulled clear to take it 6-1. A perfect start for the team.
In the second match, Zia Debroy and Augustine Charpentier took responsibility. Against Westbroek and Rajagopal, the two French players produced a stable and assertive performance. They won in straight sets, 6-2 and 6-4, putting the team into a comfortable 2-0 lead. The overall victory was practically within reach, but the third doubles wanted to underline the success once more.
Lison Chrétien-Méal and Victoria Isaac completed the commanding afternoon. Their match against Nikkelen and Bakker was controlled: 6-4 in the first set, 6-2 in the second. In the end, a clear 3-0 – a result that not only secured progress in the classification match but also boosted the team's confidence ahead of the decisive Saturday.
Belgium also dominates against Estonia
While the Bleuettes beat the Netherlands, Belgium simultaneously secured their place in the fifth-place match. Against Estonia, the Belgian team looked superior from the outset and left no doubt about their ambition to finish the tournament on a respectable note.
Van Bryssel and Wouters opened the team tie with a convincing 6-1 and 6-0 against Prants and Kitsing. The second Belgian pairing, Vereertbrugghen and Van Bryssel, went even further and won without conceding a game, 6-0 and 6-0 against Sammelselg and Helde. Martorell and Moens wrapped up the win with 7-6 and 6-3 against Mahlapuu and Skorodumova. Belgium also celebrated a 3-0 – a clear signal to their upcoming opponent.
In the group stage, the Belgians had also finished third in their pool, behind Portugal and Spain. They suffered 3-0 defeats against both top nations in the tournament, yet managed their only group win against the Netherlands, 2-1 – the same team France dominated so clearly on Friday. That context makes Saturday's match particularly intriguing: two teams who followed a similar path in the preliminary round meet to bring their Euro Juniors campaign to a dignified close.
Saturday: showdown for fifth place
The classification match between France and Belgium promises tension at a high level. Both teams have shown they can respond mentally after setbacks in the group stage. For the Bleuettes, the defeat against Sweden that denied them a semi-final spot remains a bitter moment – yet the performance against the Netherlands proves they have the potential to compete against strong opponents.
Belgium arrives with momentum from their dominant results against Estonia. In particular, the pairing of Vereertbrugghen and Van Bryssel, who won without dropping a game, is likely to pose a serious challenge for France. At the same time, the Tricolore squad boasts a broad doubles roster with Le Roux, Laforge, Debroy, Charpentier, Chrétien-Méal and Isaac, capable of providing different tactical answers.
For both nations, Saturday is about more than a final ranking. It is about leaving Euro Juniors 2026 with a sense of achievement and making a mark in European youth padel. Whoever keeps their composure and carries the form from the classification matches into the decider will secure fifth place – and celebrate a respectable finish to a tournament that brought highs and lows for both teams.
