Majestic Olise pulling France's strings

Michael Olise’s character off the pitch is almost the complete opposite of the one dazzling the world in France’s FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign.

One of the quietest members of Didier Deschamps’ squad, the London-born midfielder -- whose father is Nigerian and whose mother is Franco-Algerian -- is not the loudest voice in the dressing room. His French is still a work in progress.

But it hardly matters.

Because the language he speaks with the ball at his feet is the one driving this frighteningly talented France side through the tournament in North America.

"Michael is a bit of an introvert. The important thing is that he is not introverted on the pitch."

Those words from Deschamps, delivered after Olise's hattrick in France's 3-1 friendly victory over Northern Ireland before the World Cup, perfectly capture what makes the 24-year-old so special. He is, in the words of his coach, someone who "makes things happen when he touches the ball."

If someone judged France's dominance in this World Cup only by looking at the scoresheet, they would naturally arrive at one conclusion: Kylian Mbappe. The captain has scored six goals and provided two assists, leading the Golden Boot race on assists after drawing level with Lionel Messi on goals.

But those who have watched France closely -- or taken a deeper dive into how they have dismantled opponents -- would discover another story. Behind so much of France's attacking fluency is Olise, whose fingerprints are all over their best football.

Les Bleus were once again irresistible in a 3-0 victory over Sweden in New Jersey on Wednesday, making it four wins from four and 13 goals scored as they cruised into a last-16 meeting with Paraguay.

Olise did not score any of those goals. Mbappe struck twice at MetLife Stadium, while Bradley Barcola added the other.

But Olise's influence against Sweden was immense. He produced two more assists to move clear as the tournament's leading creator with five.

At this rate, it appears only a matter of time before he overtakes one of football's greatest names. Pele's six assists at the 1970 World Cup remain the record for a single edition of the tournament, and Olise now stands just one away.

His transformation has been impossible to ignore for regular followers of the game.

At Bayern Munich, Olise flourished as a right winger, scoring 22 goals in all competitions during a trophy-filled campaign. With France, however, Deschamps has unlocked another dimension by shifting him into a more central, playmaking role.

He began the tournament out wide against Senegal, but France struggled to find their rhythm in the opening stages. During the second half, Deschamps pulled him deeper into midfield to orchestrate attacks instead.

The effect was immediate.

France went on to win 3-1, with Olise supplying an assist while creating more chances than any other player on the pitch.

Deschamps has not looked back since.

Olise has become the creative hub around which France's galaxy of attacking stars revolve, knitting together the movement of Mbappe, Dembele, Barcola and Doue with remarkable vision, composure and timing.

It is a role that suits both his personality and his football.

"Let's just say I prefer to talk with my feet," he told French sports daily L'Equipe recently.

Patrick Vieira, under whom Olise sparked as one of the Premier League's brightest young talents in Crystal Palace in 2021, described Olise as "a future Ballon d'Or winner."

That prediction may have sounded ambitious a few years ago. But it feels considerably less so now.

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