Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill used his post-match comments after a 3-1 friendly defeat to France in Lille to pay tribute to outgoing France head coach Didier Deschamps, describing him as a "fantastic national team manager."

The match at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy served as both sides' final warm-up before the FIFA World Cup 2026, and it marked Deschamps' last game in charge of France on home soil — the veteran coach having already confirmed he will step down after the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

O'Neill's admiration for Deschamps

O'Neill, who took charge of Northern Ireland just months before Deschamps was appointed France manager in 2012, spoke warmly about the man who has won the World Cup both as a player and as a coach.

"To remain in charge of a nation of this size, with the options this country has to manage and to be as successful as he has — but also when you deal with so many superstars — it takes a special person to deal with that. Didier has that in abundance," O'Neill said.

"He was a magnificent player and leader, and he's brought that into his management career. As a manager of a smaller nation, he has great humility; he always speaks to you, always has time for you."

Olise hat-trick sinks Northern Ireland

Michael Olise delivered a hat-trick — capped by a sensational third goal — to steer France to victory, though Northern Ireland acquitted themselves well throughout and pulled one back through Patrick Kelly, who headed in a Shea Charles cross for his first international goal on just his second start.

O'Neill expressed satisfaction with the performance of his young, depleted squad against a France side he described as the best international team in the world in terms of depth and options. He was, however, frustrated that Olise's opener survived a VAR review, with O'Neill convinced that Kylian Mbappe had been obstructing Pierce Charles' line of vision.

"It was a huge test for us coming here against the best international squad in the world, but I thought we gave a really good account of ourselves. We were very disciplined, we didn't give up too many chances, and had a few half-chances ourselves," he said.

"The third goal was a piece of brilliance by one of the best players in the world at this moment in time."

Kelly earns special praise

The Northern Ireland boss was particularly complimentary about Kelly, the 20-year-old Barnsley forward who left West Ham to gain regular minutes in League One and has steadily developed his game over the past 12 months.

"He has had a brilliant year. He was always a really good footballer — he's now developed the body and physicality to deal with the game," O'Neill said. "He's still only 20 years of age. We're delighted with the progress he has made in the last 12 months."