Willy Sagnol, the current coach of the Georgia national team, has made a bold claim regarding Michael Olise's performance at the 2026 World Cup. After France's first four matches, Sagnol believes no player can match Olise's level. He stated that the midfielder, wearing jersey number 11, not only excelled as the team's 'playmaker' but also made every action enjoyable to watch.
"Currently, Olise is the best player in the world, far surpassing others. If he doesn't win the Ballon d'Or, then football has a serious problem," Sagnol said after France's 3-0 victory over Sweden in the round of 16 on 30/6.
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Olise (left) celebrates with Mbappe during France's 3-0 victory over Sweden in the 2026 World Cup round of 16 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, USA on 30/6. *AP*
What Sagnol admires most about Olise is his team spirit. According to Sagnol, the winger shows no interest in scoring, assisting, or personal glory, focusing solely on benefiting the team. He even compared Olise to Zinedine Zidane, the former midfielder who helped France win the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
"Messi and Ronaldo, who have dominated world football for the past 15 years, play partly for themselves and their individual statistics. I don't oppose them, but Olise truly plays for the team. Finally, our children have a great role model. He is number one in France," Sagnol added.
When asked if his extensive praise for Olise meant he overlooked Kylian Mbappe's impressive 6 goals in this year's tournament, Sagnol replied: "Unlike Olise, Mbappe focuses more on himself, his career, and his goals. This often leads to criticism and sometimes negative perceptions. However, professionally, he is still excelling at the World Cup. I am 100% confident that Mbappe will win the Golden Boot for the tournament."
Olise made a significant impact for Bayern Munich in the 2025-2026 season, scoring 22 goals and providing 31 assists, helping the team secure a domestic double and reach the Champions League semifinals. At the 2026 World Cup, Olise has not scored any goals but leads the assist race with 5. Following him are Bruno Guimaraes (Brazil, 4), Florian Wirtz (Germany), Martin Odegaard (Norway), and Alexander Isak (Sweden, all with 3).
Since 1966, no France international has provided more assists than Olise in a single World Cup. Jean Tigana (1982), Dominique Rocheteau (1986), Youri Djorkaeff (1998), and Antoine Griezmann (2022) all finished their tournaments with 3 assists. The only player to have more assists than Olise in a World Cup over the past 60 years is Pele, who had 6 assists in 6 matches in 1970. Olise has only played 4 matches in this year's tournament and has a maximum of 4 more matches to surpass 'King of Football'.
Dmitri Payet, another former France international, is also impressed with Olise's connecting, versatile, and creative playmaking. He believes Olise not only contributes with assists but also elevates the performance of his teammates and strengthens the France national team.
On 4/7, France will face Paraguay in the round of 16. If they win, Olise and his teammates could meet Morocco in the quarterfinals, and Spain or Portugal in the semifinals.
Thanh Quy (according to AS, LP)
