Michael Olise delivered a stunning hat-trick as France defeated Northern Ireland 3-1 at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille on Monday, June 8, in their last pre-World Cup friendly. The performance was a timely response to last week’s defeat against Côte d’Ivoire and marked Didier Deschamps’ final match on home soil as national team coach.
Facing the 70th-ranked team in the world, Les Bleus dominated from start to finish. Olise opened the scoring just before half-time (43rd minute) by capitalising on a rebound, then doubled the lead shortly after the restart (49th) with a similar finish. He completed his treble in the 75th minute with a trademark curled strike from the right wing into the top corner.
Northern Ireland’s Patrick John Kelly pulled one back in the 64th minute, but France never looked threatened. The victory eased concerns following the 2-1 loss to the Elephants four days earlier.
Key performers and deschamps’ farewell
- Olise shines – The Crystal Palace winger was the standout, showing composure and quality in front of goal. His hat-trick will boost confidence ahead of the tournament in the United States.
- PSG trio impress – Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué started, with Doué particularly lively, while Bradley Barcola came off the bench. William Saliba, returning from a back issue, played the entire first half without problems.
- Deschamps’ last dance on French turf – After 14 years in charge, Didier Deschamps coached his final match in France before stepping down after the World Cup. The crowd at Stade Pierre-Mauroy chanted his name in the 7th minute, a tribute to his playing number. His record stands at 63 wins, 14 draws and 14 defeats in 91 matches – a 69% win rate.
France now travels to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19. No fresh injuries were reported from the match, and the squad will look to build on this performance.
