With more than 100 goals combined across club and country last season, France unleashed four of the game’s best attackers in their final World Cup warm-up on Monday.
But while Kylian Mbappe’s bid to match Olivier Giroud’s France goalscoring record fell short and, after winning the Champions League with PSG, Ousmenne Demebele and Desire Doue were kept relatively quiet, it was Michael Olise who stole the show against Northern Ireland.
The Bayern Munich winger scored his first international hat-trick to give France a winning send off to Boston, Massachusetts.
His first goal had a touch of fortune as he latched onto Dembele’s deflected shot, but his second was a thunderous finish before he completed his hat-trick with a delightful, curling effort.
Before the game, in his BBC Sport column, Gael Clichy, who coached Olise at the Paris Olympics, said he had the potential to be the breakthrough star at the tournament.
For former France striker Louis Saha, the star showing from Olise was “what we expect from such a player” – and he has a big target in mind.
“Consistency is the hardest and from his point of view, you have to be in that conversation every time you want a Ballon d’Or,” said BBC Sport NI pundit Saha.
“That is what he wants and that is why those performances are the norm for [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo. I think that is what he is dreaming of and that is what we want in the World Cup.”
When asked if 24-year-old Olise, who was born in England, can take a step into Ballon d’Or contention, Saha highlighted Olise’s “mentality” during his three years at Crystal Palace as being pivotal, before he moved to Bayern Munich in 2024.
And, referring to Mbappe and last year’s winner Dembele, he added: “It is unbelievable in this [France] squad to have three possible Ballon d’Or winners.”
Manager Didier Deschamps, who took charge of his last match on French soil as he prepares to end his 14-year tenure after the World Cup, said Olise had “built a lot” since he made his debut in 2024, after he impressed at the Paris Olympics.
“Michael is amazing. You can see it, he’s really confident right now,” Deschamps said.
“He’s decisive and clinical. For an offensive player, he’s making the efforts to defend as well. We’ll definitely need Michael at this level, and also other players too, of course.”
Deschamps said it took time for Olise to settle on the international stage. He did not score in his first five appearances but Monday’s hat-trick has taken him to seven goals in 12 games.
France head to the World Cup with a wealth of riches in attack. Aside from the four players who started in Lille, there is also the likes of Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki and Warren Zaire-Emery in their 26-man squad.
But Deschamps feels that Olise is key if France are to win the World Cup for a third time.
“It took some time for him to feel relaxed. His temperament is really more of an introvert player,” Deschamps added.
“It’s our job also to move along with him, to help him integrate. We’ll need him to play at his best level.”
Deschamps won the World Cup as a captain and manager with France, but said he would not be drawn into the emotion of his last game on home soil.
His attentions are solely on France’s World Cup opener with Senegal on 16 June in New Jersey, with further Group I matches against Iraq and Erling Haaland’s Norway to follow.
Before the game, there was a ceremony and Deschamps’ name was sung on several occasions by the home support.
After the match, when there was a lap of honour, a number of France’s 2018 World Cup winners were on the pitch, including Giroud, who plays his club football in Lille, and Rapahel Varane.
“There have been many testimonies and messages, and it’s really nice to hear so much love, to see so much love,” Deschamps added.
“This is part of life. I’m not nostalgic. Just like the first day, each, every minute, I’ve been trying to enjoy as much as I can.”
While Olise shone in Lille, for Mbappe it was a night of frustration as his wait to equal Giroud’s record of 57 of goals for France continued.
Despite a club form of 42 goals in 44 appearances for Real Madrid, Mbappe has scored one goal in his past four international appearances.
The 27-year-old had a goal disallowed on Monday after Doue was offside in the build-up, and he also spurned a number of chances as Olise stole the headlines.
When asked by a French reporter if he was worried about Mbappe’s international form heading into the World Cup, Deschamps gave it short shrift.
“You do what you want, but I’m not going to worry,” he said.
“It’s true that he’s had a few occasions, a few opportunities.
“He hasn’t been efficient, but he has said he is keeping that efficiency for the USA, so that’s fine.”