Fleetwood, aiming to follow in the footsteps of 2016 champion Justin Rose by clinching gold for Great Britain, built on his impressive opening score of 67 with an eagle and three birdies, finishing the front nine with a remarkable 31.
He added more birdies at the 13th, 16th, and 17th, but the world number 14 couldn’t secure par at the last hole after a wayward tee shot.
Fleetwood has had success at Le Golf National in the past, winning the 2017 French Open and earning four points alongside Francesco Molinari at the 2018 Ryder Cup.
Great Britain’s Matt Fitzpatrick also made a significant comeback, as the 2022 US Open champion recovered from an opening 73 to match Fleetwood’s 64, placing him alongside McIlroy at five under.
McIlroy, who narrowly missed out on a bronze medal during his Olympic debut in Tokyo, started off strong with an eagle and a birdie in the opening five holes.
However, after making his next birdie on the ninth, he faced two dropped shots before waiting until the 16th to add another to his scorecard.
The four-time major champion encountered difficulties with his drive on the 17th, resulting in a costly double bogey, but he bounced back with a fantastic approach on the final hole, securing a closing birdie.
World number one Scottie Scheffler sits at six under, while McIlroy’s Team Ireland teammate Shane Lowry, after carding his second consecutive 71, remains at level par.
