Overview
- An Irish FA announcement Thursday set Northern Ireland to visit France on June 8 at Lille’s Stade Pierre-Mauroy with a 21:10 local kick-off.
- The Irish FA says this will be the second of two June away friendlies, which will help Michael O’Neill’s squad sharpen up for the autumn Nations League.
- France will use the match in its World Cup build-up, and forward Hugo Ekitike is out after rupturing his Achilles this week.
- Les Bleus open against Senegal on June 16 in New Jersey, then face Iraq in Philadelphia on June 22 and Norway in Massachusetts on June 26.
- It will be Northern Ireland’s first game in France since Euro 2016 and the nations’ first meeting since a 1-0 French win in Belfast in 1999.