Michael Olise finished the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the losing side, but he left the tournament holding a record no player had touched in more than 50 years.
The France playmaker became the player with the most assists in a single World Cup after setting up two goals in France’s 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place playoff on July 18.
Olise went into the match with five assists to his name. He added two more as France chased an unlikely comeback, having conceded four goals in the first half.
His first came three minutes after the restart. The Bayern Munich winger picked out Kylian Mbappe, who pulled one back for France.
Moments later, Mbappe turned provider himself, teeing up Bradley Barcola to cut the deficit again.
Olise then linked up with Mbappe once more in the 66th minute, delivering a precise pass for the France captain to score and make it 6-5.
Ousmane Dembele added another late into stoppage time, but England held on for the win.
That second assist took Olise to seven for the tournament. It broke the previous World Cup record of six, set by Brazilian great Pele at the 1970 edition.
The 24-year-old shaped much of France’s attacking play throughout the competition, even though he ended it without a goal of his own.
He passed up several chances to get on the scoresheet during the playoff. Even so, his creativity kept troubling England until the final whistle.
France leave the tournament with nothing to show for their run, missing out on a third-place finish.
Olise, though, departs with a place in the record books. His seven assists set a new benchmark and capped a breakout campaign that made him one of the standout performers of the competition.
The result also came on a day that reshaped the tournament’s scoring history. Mbappe overtook Lionel Messi to become the World Cup’s all-time top goalscorer.
For France, the third-place playoff offered a chance to end the tournament on a high after falling short of the final. Instead, they were left to reflect on a defensive collapse in the opening 45 minutes.
The 6-4 scoreline made it one of the higher-scoring matches of the competition. France’s four second-half goals were not enough to overturn the damage done before the break.
Olise’s rise has been one of the stories of the tournament. He joined Bayern Munich from Crystal Palace and carried his club form onto the biggest stage of international football.
His seven assists now stand as the mark for future players to chase.
France’s campaign is over, but the numbers Olise leaves behind will follow the tournament into the record books long after the final in 2026 is played.
Source: Yen Sports
