Eduardo Camavinga's brilliance with France looked like more than a fleeting moment. It read as a clear declaration that the Real Madrid man was back on the path everyone had expected him to take since his debut. Under Zinedine Zidane, the French midfielder rediscovered some of his sparkle, handing José Mourinho a valuable boost before Real Madrid resume competition.
Expectations have followed Camavinga's name ever since he broke through with Rennes in 2019 at the age of seventeen. He moved to Real Madrid in 2021 and played an influential role in the club's march to the Champions League.
His career afterwards never settled into the expected rhythm. His presence gradually faded as several coaches took turns leading the team, and he often found himself a prisoner of the substitutes' bench, before last season brought one of the toughest spells of his career.
A red card against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final made matters worse. The mistake left a clear mark on his season, and he dropped out of Didier Deschamps' plans for the World Cup squad.
Mourinho's arrival changed things. The Portuguese handed Camavinga more space to play from the start of the season, and he gradually rebuilt his level, helped by a run free of injuries.
That improvement was enough to earn him a call-up to the French national team in Zidane's first squad as coach. The response came quickly on the pitch, according to French website "Foot Mercato".
Standout displays during the international break earned Camavinga a return to the starting line-up against Belgium at the Stade de France. He delivered one of his best matches in a Les Bleus shirt.
Across 88 minutes of the 4-1 win, the Real Madrid player ran the midfield. His passing accuracy reached 89%, he made 11 passes in the attacking third, and he was one of the most important keys to building France's attacks.
His influence did not stop going forward. He put in a huge physical shift against Belgium's attacks, recovering the ball 8 times and making 4 interceptions to form a strong duo with Manu Koné.
Real Madrid were delighted. Praise for Camavinga grew in Spain, especially with the player looking more confident and influential under Zidane.
For Mourinho, what Camavinga produced with France is a valuable gift. The Real Madrid coach now has a midfielder gradually recovering the form that made the club so keen to sign him, while Zidane appears to have found an essential piece for his project with the French national team.