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Michael Olise scored the first hat-trick of his international career as France defeated Northern Ireland 3-1 in Lille on Monday, giving Didier Deschamps a winning farewell on home soil ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Bayern Munich winger produced a match-winning display at the Decathlon Arena, scoring all three goals as Les Bleus bounced back from last week’s surprise defeat to Ivory Coast and completed their final warm-up fixture before travelling to the United States.
France dominated possession for long periods but struggled to break down a disciplined Northern Ireland side until Olise opened the scoring two minutes before halftime. The 24-year-old reacted quickest after Ousmane Dembele’s effort deflected into his path, firing home to hand the hosts a deserved lead.
Olise doubled France’s advantage shortly after the restart with the goal of the night, unleashing a powerful strike from the edge of the penalty area that flew into the top corner beyond goalkeeper Pierce Charles.
Northern Ireland refused to fold and reduced the deficit in the 64th minute when Patrick Kelly finished from close range after a surging run and assist from Shea Charles. The goal rewarded a spirited performance from Michael O’Neill’s youthful side, which entered the match with an average starting age of just 22.6 years.
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Any hopes of a comeback were extinguished 15 minutes from time when Olise completed his hat-trick in spectacular fashion, curling a superb effort from outside the box into the net to cap a memorable evening and earn a standing ovation from the home crowd.
While Olise stole the headlines, France captain Kylian Mbappe endured a frustrating night in front of goal. The Real Madrid forward had a goal ruled out for offside and missed several opportunities as he continues his pursuit of the national team’s all-time scoring record currently held by Olivier Giroud.
The match also marked Deschamps’ final appearance in charge of France on home soil after 14 years at the helm. The 57-year-old, who guided France to World Cup glory in 2018, now turns his attention to leading the team’s challenge for a third global title.
Despite the defeat, Northern Ireland left Lille with plenty of positives. Missing several key players, including Conor Bradley and Dan Ballard, O’Neill’s side remained competitive throughout and created several opportunities against one of world football’s strongest teams.
France will begin their World Cup campaign against Senegal on June 16 in New Jersey before facing Iraq and Norway in Group I, while Northern Ireland return to action in September with Nations League fixtures against Georgia, Ukraine and Hungary.
