Michael Olise is generating excitement not only at FC Bayern but also for France. After his next stellar performance, fans in the stands are already cheering him on with chants of “Ballon d’Or.”
Michael Olise has quickly become one of the French national team’s biggest hopes. His popularity with the fans was particularly evident during the 4-1 victory over Belgium.
As Olise left the field after his stellar performance, loud chants echoed through the Stade de France: “Olise Ballon d’Or! Olise Ballon d’Or!” The 24-year-old reacted to the hype with his usual reserve. In the subsequent TV interview, he simply stated: “I have nothing to say about that.”
Zinedine Zidane also didn’t want to further fuel the Ballon d’Or debate. The French national team coach nevertheless had strong words for his star forward: “What he does is simply extraordinary.”
The praise is well-deserved. Under Zidane, Olise has definitively evolved from an important offensive player into a game-changer. In his first four matches under the new national team coach, the FC Bayern pro has been directly involved in at least one goal every time. No French national team player has ever achieved this in their first four games under a new coach.
Olise turns the game around single-handedly
The match against Belgium demonstrated just how great his influence has become. France was trailing 0–1 after an hour when Zidane brought on his star player, who had been rested earlier. Shortly afterward, Désiré Doué equalized, and then Olise took over.
In just ten minutes, the Bayern pro scored two goals and provided an assist, becoming the decisive player of the match. France turned a deficit into a decisive 4–1 victory.
With his performance, Olise also set new records. The 24-year-old now has ten assists for the French national team in the current calendar year. No player on the Équipe Tricolore had ever reached such a milestone before.
His overall stats are also improving rapidly. After 29 international appearances, Olise has already tallied eleven goals and twelve assists. His contribution since the coaching change has been particularly striking: he has been directly involved in six of France’s seven goals under Zidane so far.
Olise is thus continuing on the international stage exactly what he has been showing at FC Bayern since the start of the season. In his first seven competitive matches for Munich, the winger has already scored eight goals and set up four more. His current form is among the strongest in top-tier European soccer.
However, this year’s gala is unlikely to have any impact on this year’s Ballon d’Or. The evaluation period ended with the World Cup final. At the awards ceremony on October 26, Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona and Olise’s Bayern teammate Harry Kane are among the top favorites.