Bradley Barcola sent the perfect reminder to Liverpool fans as he and Jeremy Jacquet both started for France against Belgium during the international break
France's forward #12 Bradley Barcola runs with the ball during the UEFA Nations League Group A1 football match between Belgium and France at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on September 28, 2026. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP via Getty Images)
Bradley Barcola impressed Liverpool fans with his pace during France's game against Belgium(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool fans couldn’t hide their excitement after Bradley Barcola showed off his searing pace while on duty with France in the international break.
The winger was handed his first start under new national team boss Zinedine Zidane as they took on Belgium in the Nations League, while fellow Red Jeremy Jacquet made his international debut as he was named at the heart of Les Bleus’ defense.
Jacquet was kept busy early on as the hosts threatened to take the lead on a number of occasions, with former Manchester City captain Kevin De Bruyne in particular looking in fine form - Liverpool’s summer arrival managed to keep his composure though as the game remained goalless at the break.
Barcola though came close to forcing a breakthrough for France, and in the process sent a perfect reminder to Liverpool fans of what he can offer the Reds following his signing from Paris Saint-Germain.
Midway through the first half, Barcola picked the ball up on the halfway line and proceeded to nutmeg a Belgian defender before racing away into the penalty area.
Once there, Barcola saw his appeals for a penalty turned down as Nathan Ngoy looked to have barged into him, sending the Liverpool forward tumbling to the ground.
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The decision not to award France the penalty led to bemusement among supporters on social media, but Reds fans were also entranced by the sheer pace shown by Barcola as they shared clips of the 24-year-old’s impressive run.
One user described the winger as showing “insane pace”, while another simply exclaimed: “Look at the pace from Barcola!”
One user asked: “How did he get past that guy and how’s that not a push,” while another claimed: “Bradley Barcola is causing Belgium PROBLEMS.”
Barcola’s reminder comes as French legend Thierry Henry gave his verdict on the Liverpool star, and warned him of the pressure he’ll come under following his move to Anfield.
“It’s not an easy place to start, and he didn’t ask for his price tag, but it’s on his back,” Henry told Betway.
“We all know that one-v-one, he is deadly, and he has pace. The only thing he needs to work on is his finishing, but that’s normal. If you see my finishing when I was 19 or 20 compared to the end of my career, it was so different. I became so much more sure about my game.
“With winning the Champions League back-to-back, playing for France, with the price tag and the quality that he has, people are not going to wait for him to become the finished article, so he’s going to have to deliver. There is going to be a level of expectation, and sometimes he is a bit raw in his finishing, but he creates a hell of a lot.”