Michael Olise hat-trick powers France past Northern Ireland in final World Cup warm-up

France concluded their World Cup preparations with a convincing win at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, responding strongly after a defeat to Côte d’Ivoire just days earlier. The team dominated from start to finish against a limited Northern Ireland side, which still managed to find the net.

Olise steals the show

Facing the 70th-ranked nation in the world, Les Bleus knew they had to erase the memory of their loss to the Elephants. They turned to Michael Olise, who capitalised on rebounds from blocked efforts just before and after half-time (43rd and 49th minutes) before curling a trademark strike into the top corner from the right wing (75th). The only blemish on the night was Patrick John Kelly’s equaliser on the hour mark (64th).

Paris contingent and Saliba impress

The Paris Saint-Germain players, fresh from winning their second European title, arrived late to the France camp and were rested for the first friendly. On Monday, Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué started, with the latter looking particularly sharp, while Bradley Barcola came on after 60 minutes. William Saliba, who had been managing chronic back pain and was also preserved for the first match, played the entire first half without any apparent discomfort.

Deschamps bids emotional farewell on home soil

After 14 years at the helm, Didier Deschamps took charge of his final match on French soil before stepping down after the World Cup. His record with the national team now stands at 91 matches: 63 wins, 14 draws and 14 defeats, a 69% win rate. The Stade Pierre-Mauroy crowd chanted his name in the 7th minute, a tribute to his shirt number when he played for France.