France defeated Northern Ireland 3-1 on Monday evening at the Decathlon Arena-Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille. This friendly match was the final preparation game for Les Bleus before their departure for the 2026 Rugby World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The team Didier Deschamps Ireland secured the victory thanks to a hat-trick from Michael Olise. The Bayern Munich player scored in the 43rd, 49th, and 75th minutes. Northern Ireland's lone goal was scored by Patrick Kelly in the 64th minute.
Olise unlocks the match before the break
France struggled to break down the Northern Irish defense for much of the first half. Les Bleus created several chances before opening the scoring: Aurélien Tchouaméni hit the post in the 21st minute, then Kylian Mbappé thought he had scored moments later, but the goal was disallowed for an offside position by Désiré Doué.
The first goal finally came in the 43rd minute. Désiré Doué received the ball on the left wing before finding Ousmane Dembélé. Dembélé's shot was deflected, and the ball fell to Michael Olise, who opened the scoring. France went into halftime with a one-goal lead.
The brace right after the restart
Didier Deschamps made two changes at halftime: William Saliba and Jules Koundé were replaced by Maxence Lacroix and Malo Gusto. France scored quickly after the restart. In the 49th minute, Malo Gusto broke down the right flank and crossed. After a shot from Theo Hernandez, the ball fell to Olise, who struck with his left foot to make it 2-0. Northern Ireland pulled one back in the 64th minute. Shea Charles found Patrick Kelly, who beat Mike Maignan despite Dayot Upamecano's intervention. At that point, the score was 2-1.
Olise finishes the job
France regained a two-goal lead in the 75th minute. Michael Olise scored his third goal of the evening with a curling left-footed shot, making it 3-1. Olise was substituted in the 83rd minute, replaced by Maghnes Akliouche. At the same time, Manu Koné replaced Aurélien Tchouaméni. The French hat-trick scorer received a standing ovation as he left the pitch.
The final test before the World Cup
This France-Northern Ireland match was Les Bleus' second and final warm-up game before the World Cup. Four days earlier, France had lost to Ivory Coast 2-1 in Nantes. Les Bleus thus finished their preparations with a victory, eight days before their opening World Cup match.
The match also had a special significance for Didier Deschamps: it was his 90th and final match in charge of Les Bleus on French soil.
The upcoming matches of the French national team
France will begin their World Cup campaign on Tuesday, June 16, against Senegal at 21 p.m. at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Les Bleus will then face Iraq on Monday, June 22, at 23 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Their third group match is scheduled for Friday, June 26, at 21 p.m. against Norway at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
