France starting lineup vs Northern Ireland confirmed as Ousmane Dembélé & Désiré Doué return

Last edition’s World Cup finalists face Northern Ireland after 27 years.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is all set for its commencement, with the World Cup fever increasing with every passing countdown. France, which established their mark after impressive performances in the previous two outings, will be hosting Northern Ireland in a World Cup preparatory friendly at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille. Both nations are set for their ninth official meeting, with France undefeated in all fixtures.

France, led by star striker Kylian Mbappé, is arriving with massive expectations after managing to win the tournament in 2018 and finishing as runners-up in 2022. They sealed their spot for the tournament after topping their UEFA qualification group. France is placed in Group I for the 2026 World Cup, considered by many as the most difficult group in the edition. They will compete alongside Senegal, Norway, and Iraq. They begin their World Cup campaign against Senegal on June 16 at MetLife Stadium in New York.

France lineup (4-2-3-1) vs Northern Ireland

Mike Maignan (GK); Jules Koundé, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Theo Hernandez; Aurélien Tchouaméni, Adrien Rabiot; Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué; Kylian Mbappé (Captain)

Substitutes

• Risser
• Brice Samba
• Lucas Digne
• Malo Gusto
• Lucas Hernandez
• Ibrahima Konaté
• Maxence Lacroix
• N’Golo Kanté
• Manu Koné
• Warren Zaïre-Emery
• Maghnes Akliouche
• Bradley Barcola
• Rayan Cherki
• Jean-Philippe Mateta
• Marcus Thuram

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