Northern Ireland is set for a high-stakes summer friendly, squaring off against none other than two-time world champions France. The match, scheduled for Monday, 8 June at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, offers a tantalizing preview for Les Bleus as they fine-tune their squad ahead of their World Cup campaign.

For Michael O’Neill’s side, this is a prime opportunity to measure themselves against the world’s top-ranked team. While Northern Ireland’s own World Cup dreams ended in the play-offs, a strong performance against the reigning champions would be a significant statement. The fixture also marks a nostalgic return to France, the scene of their memorable Euro 2016 run.

French manager Didier Deschamps will be looking to solidify his final plans, aiming to avenge their heartbreaking shootout loss to Argentina in the last final. Despite a dominant qualifying run and recent friendly wins, the squad has been dealt a blow with Hugo Ekitike ruled out due to injury. For Northern Ireland, as technical director Aaron Hughes stated, facing a footballing powerhouse like France is precisely the challenge needed to test and develop their squad.