World Cup 2026 preparations: France vs Northern Ireland prediction – June 8, 2026
As part of their preparations for the upcoming World Cup, France and Northern Ireland will meet in an international friendly on Monday, June 8. Kick-off is scheduled for 21:10 CET, and here is my betting pick for the match.
France vs Northern Ireland: Match preview
France came through the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with great authority, recording five wins and one draw to finish six points clear at the top of Group D. Les Bleus are the reigning World Cup runners-up and were crowned world champions in 2018. At the upcoming tournament, they will face Senegal, Iraq and Norway in the group stage. It is certainly a challenging group, but France should still have a very strong chance of reaching the knockout rounds.
However, France suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat to Côte d'Ivoire in their most recent match. As a result, Didier Deschamps' side will be eager to return to winning ways and head into the tournament with renewed confidence.
Northern Ireland approach this fixture in far less positive circumstances. Michael O'Neill's men failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup despite a determined effort. They finished behind Slovakia in their qualifying group after collecting nine points from six matches. Northern Ireland were also given another route to qualification through the UEFA Nations League, but their hopes were ended immediately by a 2-0 defeat to Italy in the play-offs.
Since then, they have played two friendly matches, beating Guinea 1-0 before drawing 1-1 in their next outing.
Match facts and head-to-head
- France have won three of their last five matches by a margin of more than one goal.
- France have suffered only one defeat in their last ten matches.
- France won the most recent meeting between the two sides 1-0. That match was played back in 1999.
Probable line-ups
- France: Maignan; Koundé, Upamecano, Konaté, L. Hernandez; Tchouaméni, Akliouche, Cherki; Olise, Mbappé, Thuram
- Northern Ireland: P. Charles; McConville, Hume, Brown; Smyth, McDonnell, S. Charles, Devenny; Donley, Price; Reid
Prediction
Following a disappointing result in their previous match, I expect France to be highly motivated to respond with a convincing performance. My recommended bet is France over 2.5 team goals.
