Key moments

The final rehearsal before departure was a success. France won their second and final World Cup warm-up match (11 June-19 July) against Northern Ireland (3-1), Monday at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille. The team needed a response after losing to Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday (1-2), and they largely reassured by dominating a limited opponent from start to finish, though the visitors did manage to score.

• Michael Olise shines. Facing the world’s 70th-ranked nation, France had no choice but to win to erase the defeat against the Elephants. They relied on Michael Olise, who was well placed on attempts blocked by the Northern Irish defence shortly before and after the break (43rd and 49th minutes), then scored his trademark curled shot into the top corner after cutting in from the right wing (75th). Patrick John Kelly’s goal just after the hour (64th) was the only blemish of the evening.
• Parisians and Saliba in form. The Paris Saint-Germain players, who arrived later to the squad after winning their second European title, were spared the first match against Côte d’Ivoire. On Monday, Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué started, with Doué particularly impressive, while Bradley Barcola came on after an hour. William Saliba, who has been dealing with chronic back pain and was also rested for the first friendly, played the entire first half without apparent difficulty.
• Successful farewell for Didier Deschamps on French soil. After fourteen years at the helm, Didier Deschamps played his last match as head coach on home soil, as he will leave his role after the World Cup. His record with France after this victory: 91 matches, 63 wins, 14 draws, 14 defeats, a 69% win rate. The Stade Pierre-Mauroy crowd chanted his name in the 7th minute, corresponding to his France shirt number as a player.