Michael Olise has been called the 'official distributor of happiness' in France after his two-assist display in France's 3-0 victory over Sweden, which sealed their place in the World Cup last 16. The Bayern Munich forward, yet to score in the tournament, has captured hearts with his creative brilliance.
Olise's rise to prominence
The 24-year-old, born in London, joined the France setup in 2024 under Thierry Henry for the Olympics. He has since become the leading creator of the Didier Deschamps era. In a poll during the group stage, a quarter of respondents selected Olise as France's best player.
Against Sweden, Olise provided two defence-splitting through balls, taking his assist tally to five in four games. The all-time World Cup record, held by Lionel Messi, is nine. Olise is the only member of France's attacking quartet yet to score, but his bicycle-kick hit the post in the first half.
Deschamps praises Olise's workrate
“When Michael is on the ball, a lot of things can happen,” Deschamps said. “He’s the one who feeds the attackers and acts as the link with the midfield, where he also drops back to help out.” The manager noted Olise's defensive efforts, which complement his creative output.
Deschamps believes Olise can reach the level of captain Kylian Mbappé: “He’s in that category, in terms of what he’s been doing at his club and what he’s doing with us. Ousmane Dembélé is also up there. There are a lot of players in that category, and they’re French!”
France's attacking fluidity
France's frontline, comprising players from three clubs, has developed a telepathic understanding. Mbappé, who scored twice against Sweden, now has 18 goals in 18 World Cup games. The team has scored 13 goals in four matches, with minimal tactical intervention from Deschamps.
The manager urged caution ahead of the last-16 tie against Paraguay, recalling France's 1998 win over the same opponents via a Laurent Blanc golden goal. “It’s hard to see this France team taking that long to score,” Deschamps said, pointing to the team's aggression.
