France vs Northern Ireland

France signed off their pre-World Cup preparations with a 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland in Lille. The standout moment was Michael Olise's hat-trick, which lit up the Stade Pierre-Mauroy and underlined his status as one of the tournament's most exciting players. Olise broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute and added a second just after half-time (49'). Northern Ireland hit back when Patrick Kelly punished a Dayot Upamecano defensive lapse to make it 2-1 in the 64th minute, but Olise had the final say with a curling finish on 74 minutes. France also had two first-half goals ruled out by the referee. Bouncing back from a 2-1 loss to Ivory Coast, France head into the World Cup full of confidence, opening against Senegal on June 16. For a youthful Northern Ireland — their starting XI averaged just 22.6 years old — it was a valuable learning experience with an eye firmly on 2030.