Michael Olise struck three times as France beat Northern Ireland 3-1 in Lille, giving Didier Deschamps a winning home farewell before the World Cup.
Olise opened the scoring just before half-time, added a thunderous second moments after the restart, and sealed his hat-trick with a curling strike in the 74th minute. Patrick Kelly had briefly pulled one back for Northern Ireland, finishing Shea Charles’ run in the 64th.
Kylian Mbappé’s pursuit of Olivier Giroud’s scoring record continued as he saw a goal ruled out and missed several chances. Northern Ireland’s youthful side, led by captain Trai Hume, impressed with resilience despite missing key players.
France now head to the USA, opening their Group I campaign against Senegal on 16 June, while Northern Ireland look ahead to Nations League fixtures in September.
