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The last time the sides met in Paris, Thierry Henry did that. Donall Farmer/INPHO
From Paris With Love

Le Retour: Ireland to play France in pre-World Cup friendly

It’s the first of several friendlies to be announced ahead of the Uefa Nations League.

IRELAND WILL FACE France in an international friendly at the Stade de France on 28 May next year, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has announced this afternoon.

The game will be part of France’s final preparations for the World Cup in Russia, with Les Blues opening their Group C campaign against Australia on Saturday 16 June.

It will be the 17th meeting between the two nations at senior level and first since the last 16 clash in Lyon at Euro 2016, a game the hosts won 2-1 thanks to Antoine Griezmann’s quick-fire double.

Ireland have a decent record against France in Paris but the last time the sides met at the Stade de France was the 2010 World Cup playoff second-leg, in which Giovanni Trapattoni’s men were denied a place in South Africa by Thierry Henry’s infamous hand ball.

A visit to Paris is the first men’s national team fixture of 2018 to be confirmed, with more friendly games to be added into the itinerary before the start of the inaugural Uefa Nations League in September.

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