Deschamps backs hat-trick hero Olise to shine for France at World Cup
Key takeaways
- Michael Olise starred alongside Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue in 3-1 win against Northern Ireland.
- The Bayern Munich winger and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe were joined in a fearsome attack by Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele for Monday’s match.
- But Olise shone brightest, drilling home rebounds just before and after half-time before curling in a superb shot from outside the area to finish off the visitors after Patrick Kelly had pulled a goal back.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Michael Olise starred alongside Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue in 3-1 win against Northern Ireland.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Michael Olise, centre, of France celebrates with his teammates Kylian Mbappe, left, and Ousmane Dembele after scoring the opening goal against Northern Ireland [Mohammed Badra/EPA]By AFPPublished On 9 Jun 20269 Jun 2026France coach Didier Deschamps challenged forward Michael Olise to make his mark at the World Cup, after he hit a hat-trick in a 3-1 win against Northern Ireland in his team’s final World Cup warm-up.
The Bayern Munich winger and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe were joined in a fearsome attack by Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele for Monday’s match. The Paris Saint-Germain pair had been rested for the previous friendly – a loss to Ivory Coast – after winning the Champions League.