New Maradona? Michael Olise On Verge Of FIFA World Cup History After Sweden Masterclass

On the back of a majestic season in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich, France midfielder Michael Olise is proving why he is one of the best in the world. Relishing the No. 10 role given by France manager Didier Deschamps, Olise rolled out a red carpet for his teammates as he assisted all three goals that Les Bleus scored in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 win over Sweden on Tuesday. In the tournament so far, France have lived up to the status of 'favourites', thanks to a whopping six goals from captain Kylian Mbappe, but also in a large part to the creative genius of Olise.

There is a sense that, after years of prioritising pragmatism over flair, coach Didier Deschamps has decided to make his brilliant attacking players the drivers of this new era, as France aim for another World Cup title. That approach may yet change when the tournament reaches the latter stages, and the quality of the opposition increases, but France have been irresistible so far, with Olise helping to raise them to another level.

Les Bleus were at their thrilling best in the 3-0 win over Sweden in New Jersey, making it 4 wins and 13 goals scored so far in the tournament as they eased through to a last 16 tie against Paraguay. Olise has not scored any of those goals himself; Mbappe netted twice at the MetLife Stadium to move to 6 in total, while Bradley Barcola grabbed the other on the day.

Olise On The Cups Of Matching Pele, Messi And Maradona

With 5 assists to his name already, Olise has set the record for the most assists by a single player in a single edition of the tournament in 21st century history. Overall, he is tied with 5 players in joint second place on the all-time single tournament list, including Argentina's iconic No. 10, Diego Maradona. Only Brazilian legend Pele (6 assists) sits ahead of him.

The Bayern Munich playmaker is also on the cusp of matching Lionel Messi and Maradona's record for the most career assists in World Cup history. The legendary Argentine duo hold the record with 8 tournament assists each.

Most Assists In A Single World Cup:

1. Pele (Brazil) – 6 assists in 1970 
2. Robert Gadocha (Poland) – 5 in 1974 
2. Thomas Hassler (West Germany) – 5 assists in 1994 
2. Pierre Littbarski (West Germany) – 5 assists in 1982 
2. Diego Maradona (Argentina) – 5 assists in 1986 
2. Michael Olise (France) – 5 assists in 2026

While Olise might not be the one bagging the goals for France, his majestic display against Sweden firmly cemented his status as this World Cup's ultimate creative hub. The Bayern Munich player almost broke his tournament duck while the game was still goalless, but his breathtaking overhead bicycle kick came back off the post, and even Mbappe was in awe of the execution.

"It was a fantastic bit of skill. Unfortunately it did not go in, but people come to the stadium to see that kind of thing," Mbappe said after the match.

Olise A Future Ballon d'Or Winner

Olise, who made his senior international debut off the back of an impressive Olympic campaign, has thrived since being brought into the side to play in the number 10 role just behind Mbappe. He previously offered a glimpse of his big stage temperament during the qualifiers, scoring a superb free kick to spark a comeback victory on penalties.

Now 24, he has gradually established himself in the starting line up, mirroring his starring role for Bayern. The club season just finished saw him score 22 goals in all competitions as Bayern won a domestic double and reached the Champions League semi-finals before losing to Paris Saint-Germain. In his final warm up game before the World Cup, he also netted a stunning hat-trick in Frances 3-1 friendly win against Northern Ireland.

Signed by the German giants from Crystal Palace in 2024, Olise first made a name for himself in the Premier League while in South London, where he made his top-flight debut under Patrick Vieira, a World Cup winner with France in 1998.

Vieira once described Olise as "a future Ballon dOr winner", an accolade that might arrive as soon as this year if he keeps playing like this on the world stage.

With AFP Inputs

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Topics mentioned in this article

France Olise Pele Diego Maradona Messi 2026 FIFA World Cup Football