France's architect-in-chief Michael Olise among frontrunners for FIFA World Cup Golden Ball
Michael Olise could hardly have chosen a better time or place to hit top form. After lighting up the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich last term, the winger currently sits top of the FIFA World Cup 2026 assist chart and has displayed the confidence, momentum and quality of a future Golden Ball winner.
The strongest argument for Olise landing the prize as the competition’s best player lies in the evolution of his game over the past season at Bayern. Already recognised as one of Europe’s most technically gifted wingers, he has transformed from an exciting talent into a complete attacking force.
The 24-year-old has thrived under the pressure that comes with representing one of the world’s biggest clubs, delivering goals, assists, and moments of creativity that have made him one of the most influential players in European football.
Watch: Olise's 2025/26 season in retrospect
No longer viewed simply as a rising star, Olise is now working his magic on the biggest stage of all. His two assists in France’s 3-0 round-of-32 victory over Sweden lifted him top of the World Cup assist chart and cemented his status as one of the frontrunners for the tournament’s best player prize - the Golden Ball.
What separates Olise from many elite attackers is his ability to influence matches in so many different ways. He can cut inside onto his favoured left foot and find the far corner, thread defence-splitting passes through the narrowest gaps, or glide past defenders with effortless ease, blending flair with ruthless efficiency.
France’s array of superstars include Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé, but Olise has looked anything but out of place in such esteemed company. He ran the show on his World Cup debut against Senegal, producing a moment of brilliance to set up Mbappé for the opener in the second half of the 3-1 win before claiming the Man of the Match award.
He then followed that up with a brace of assists in his nation’s 3-0 triumph over Iraq - a result that saw them secure their place in the knockout stages - before helping Didier Deschamps’ charges advance in style with a 4-1 victory over Norway.
However, those performances were mere hors d’oeuvres compared to the feast he served up in the round of 32 against Sweden. Delivering two more assists to top the tournament chart, Olise was unplayable in a 3-0 victory that sent the 2022 runners-up through to the last 16.
The Golden Ball, though, is not won by statistics alone. It is awarded to the player who leaves the defining mark on a tournament, combining brilliance with moments that endure long after the final whistle.
Olise possesses exactly those qualities - you need look no further than his astonishing sideways scissor-kick that hit the post in the victory over Sweden. Had the ball ended up in the net, it would have gone down as one of the greatest World Cup goals of all time.
"Michael is a freak," former France striker Thierry Henry told FOX Sports after the game. "The way he sees stuff is just not the same as [the way] others see stuff. This guy is on another planet.
"MVP will always be Kylian, because Kylian will hit numbers that nobody [else] can. But the most important player is Michael Olise."
It is hard to argue with the ex-Arsenal and Barcelona forward. Whenever Olise receives the ball, there is a sense that something special could happen. That is the hallmark of players who capture imaginations and define World Cups - and France’s status as one of the favourites only strengthens his case.
Watch: All 34 of Olise's assists in the Bundesliga
Surrounded by world-class talent, Olise has the platform to influence matches deep into the knockout stages. No longer a supporting figure in a star-studded squad, he is the man that makes France click, and a global icon in his own right.
