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The French star reacts in his own way to the speculations about the promises of the president of “Real Madrid”.
France cruised to a comfortable 3-1 win over Northern Ireland at the Stade Pierre Mauro in Lille in their final warm-up game just days before the 2026 World Cup kicks off.
The night was special as it was coach Didier Deschamps’ final farewell to the French stadiums, and it saw an exceptional display from Bayern Munich star Michael Oliseh, who stole the show with a superb hat-trick amid reports that he is a hotly anticipated Real Madrid signing, while Kylian Mbappe continued his record chase without success.
Comprehensive control…rooster ferocity
France controlled the match from the start against Northern Ireland, who resisted fiercely despite the huge difference in level. Olisse opened the scoring after Dembele was sent off in the 43rd minute. In the second half, he scored the second goal in the 49th minute after Malo Gusto’s pass with a powerful half-goal shot with his left foot. Northern Ireland responded with a goal through Patrick Kelly in the 64th minute to reduce the deficit after Shea Charles’ pass beat Upamecano. But Oliseh wrapped up the match with a third goal in the 74th minute with a long-range shot into the far corner after cutting inside in his signature style. Deschamps made several changes in the second half, including the introduction of Saliba, Gusto, Chirki, Barcola, Dini and Kone, with the aim of giving the players important minutes ahead of the World Cup. Upamekano received a slight injury, but continued the match.
Oliseh beamed
Michael Oliseh was the undisputed star of the match, scoring a superb hat-trick that put him clearly ahead of even Kylian Mbappe himself. The Bayern player showed great composure and confidence, was creative in his movements and shot from different distances. The third goal was the most beautiful when he cut the ball inside and hit it so hard that it hit the post and into the net.
Oliseh left the pitch in the 82nd minute to a standing ovation from the fans, giving the World Cup a big boost.
😍 🎯 pic.twitter.com/bt0DxcEABv
— Team de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 8, 2026
Olisse’s exceptional performance comes at a time when the Frenchman’s name is being heavily talked about as a potential big signing. He is often cited as a target that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez promised during his election campaign to sign him from Bayern Munich with a whopping €150m bid, which would be the most expensive in the club’s history if it went ahead.
His remarkable brilliance in Lille appears to have fueled the Spaniards’ interest in him ahead of the World Cup. Oliseh has become a solid starting option for the Roosters whether he stays at Bayern or moves to another club.
The preparation of Mbappé and Deschamps
Despite his many chances, Mbappe was unable to add a goal that would have taken him close to equaling Olivier Giroud’s all-time record of 57 goals as the Roosters’ all-time top scorer.
The Real Madrid star missed a number of clear-cut chances and showed great determination to score, forcing him to rush at times.
As for Deschamps, he took advantage of the match to try out the squad and hand minutes to substitutes such as Ryan Chergi and Barcola, confirming the depth of the France squad that will challenge for a third straight World Cup title.
With this victory, the French team enters the World Cup in high spirits and with a strong defensive record, with their new star Olisse, who has been imposing himself strongly of late after an exceptional season.
France will play Iraq, Senegal and Norway in a group at the World Cup starting next Thursday.
