Now a regular starter for his club, Michael Olise is keen to cement a similar role with France ahead of World Cup 26.
Frenchman’s debut season in Germany saw him become largely indispensable
The 23-year-old wants to become a regular in Didier Deschamps' squad
Former Crystal Palace player has every reason to believe he can secure starting berth
Having spent time stateside this summer, France coach Didier Deschamps has kept close tabs on the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, where several French players shone at the global showpiece. Under the watchful eye of FC Bayern München coach Vincent Kompany, Michael Olise has been a standout performer.
After just one Bundesliga season, Olise has already established himself as a vital cog in the German giants’ machine. His stellar showings have earned him national team call-ups, despite fierce competition for attacking spots in the squad for the FIFA World Cup 26™, with the qualifiers set to kick off for Les Bleus in early September.
Prior to captivating the Allianz Arena faithful, Olise had his sights set on a different target: clinching gold on home soil at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024. The adventure sadly ended in heartbreak, as France succumbed to a 5-3 final defeat after extra time at the hands of Spain, despite Olise playing a pivotal role throughout. He was deployed as a number 10 in Thierry Henry’s 4-3-1-2 system, rather than in his usual position on the right wing.
During his five tournament starts, including every minute of France’s three knockout ties, the future Bayern star got on the scoresheet twice and set up five goals to finish top of the assist charts at the Olympic Games. Olise’s impressive displays certainly did not catch his coach off guard at the time. “Personally, I’m not that surprised by what he’s done and what he’s doing,” explained Henry in the build-up to the final. “He has some astonishing attributes. You haven’t seen anything yet.”
A maiden senior call-up had seemed to be on the cards, and Deschamps duly obliged just a few weeks later, on 6 September 2024.
“Michael did brilliantly in Thierry’s side at the Olympics,” was the FIFA World Cup™ winner’s justification when unveiling the squad. “He was already showing promise beforehand, although a few injuries held him back. He has plenty to his game and will need to prove himself over time. There’ll be hurdles to overcome, but he has enormous potential."
The former midfielder hit the nail on the head. An exceptional debut season with Bayern saw Olise showcase his skills week in, week out. Across 55 matches in all competitions, the London-born star registered 20 goals and just as many assists, 15 of which came in the Bundesliga, where he led the way for assists.
While the figures speak for themselves, the right winger cemented his place as one of the squad’s most influential members. Only Joshua Kimmich and Harry Kane logged more playing time at Bayern last season.
Olise also shone on the global stage at the FIFA Club World Cup™. After netting a brace and serving up an assist in the first half of a 10-0 demolition of Auckland City FC to kick off the competition in style, the 23-year-old bagged the winner in a 2-1 triumph over CA Boca Juniors.
The wide man was undoubtedly one of Bayern’s best performers against Paris Saint-Germain, even as Kompany’s outfit bowed out at the quarter-final stage following a 2-0 defeat. Olise was at the heart of everything creative but found himself thwarted time and again by an inspired Gianluigi Donnarumma, who simply would not be beaten.
With Deschamps favouring a 4-2-3-1 system in the last three outings for Les Bleus and Antoine Griezmann having retired from international duty in September 2024, the attacking midfield berth was seemingly up for grabs.
Having already excelled in that position under Henry at the Olympics, Olise notched a goal and an assist in the second leg of the UEFA Nations League quarter-final against Croatia, in which France ran out 2-0 winners to level the tie on aggregate before prevailing 5-4 on penalties. The former Eagles star also got the nod in the No10 role in the 5-4 semi-final defeat to Spain and came off the bench to convert against Germany in a 2-0 victory to secure third place, after which Deschamps hailed his progress and professionalism.
“His confidence has been on the up since the Croatia match in March,” he explained. “He has the technical quality and is such an intelligent footballer. He just needed to toughen up a bit. I can see how much stronger he is in duels now. His left foot is brilliant, but he’s got the physicality, too. He’s a wonderful asset for us.” France are set to kick off their qualifying campaign for the FIFA World Cup 26 in September against Ukraine, with Iceland and Azerbaijan also drawn in Group D.
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