Michael Olise

Michael Olise
Olise for France in 2026
Personal information
Full name Michael Akpovie Olise
Date of birth (2001-12-12) 12 December 2001 (age 24)
Place of birth London, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Bayern Munich
Number 17
Youth career
2017–2019 Reading
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2021 Reading 67 (7)
2021–2024 Crystal Palace 82 (14)
2024– Bayern Munich 66 (27)
International career‡
2019 France U18 2 (0)
2022–2023 France U21 7 (1)
2024 France Olympic 9 (5)
2024– France 17 (7)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 June 2026
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 June 2026

Michael Akpovie Olise (born 12 December 2001) is a professional footballer. He plays as a forward for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the French national football team. He is widely considered as one of the best players in the world.

Early life and family

Olise was born in London to British-Nigerian Vincent Olise and Franco-Algerian Mina. He has a younger brother, Richard.

Olise was shy and quiet at school. He played many sports including basketball, cricket, table tennis, and participated in the London Youth Games. He looked up to Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Zinedine Zidane and dreamt of joining France’s national football team.

Club career

He joined Reading FC in 2017 after having been through the youth systems of big English clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. He played his first match with Reading FC on 12 March 2019, a 3–0 home Championship defeat to Leeds United.

Olise joined the Premier League club Crystal Palace in July 2021. In July 2024, he moved to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

International career

Olise won the silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris where he ended the tournament as the best passer with five assists, in addition to two goals.

Olise played his first match with the senior French team on 6 September 2024 against Italy. He holds the record of most assists in a single World Cup with seven which he achieved during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Honours

Bayern Munich

France U23

France

Individual

Orders

Records

References

  1. ↑ "Mbappe, Olise and Rodri top Power Rankings". FIFA. 19 July 2026. Archived from the original on 20 July 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  2. ↑ PFSA, The (24 April 2026). "The Best Footballers in the World 2026". The PFSA. Archived from the original on 22 May 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  3. ↑ Twomey, Liam (20 July 2026). "Ranking the top 50 players at the 2026 World Cup: The final list". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 20 July 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "Top 50 Players From The 2026 World Cup". FOX Sports. Archived from the original on 19 July 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  5. ↑ Khalique-Loonat, Hamzah. "Michael Olise: why Bayern Munich star may be Europe's best player". The Times. Archived from the original on 19 April 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  6. ↑ Kuper, Simon. "The quiet Londoner turning into a French football great". Financial Times.
  7. ↑ Bate, Adam (8 April 2026). "Michael Olise's masterclass in Bayern Munich's win over Real Madrid underlines world-class ability as he outshines all". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 9 April 2026. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
  8. ↑ Jung, Marlow; Stern, Karla; Cote, Rachael (6 July 2026). "25 Hottest Soccer Stars at the 2026 World Cup". Variety. Archived from the original on 16 July 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026. the 24-year-old winger — who experts consider one of the greatest players alive — represents the France national team
  9. ↑ Blackwood, Emily (16 July 2026). "All About French Soccer Player Michael Olise's Parents, Vincent and Mina Olise". Retrieved 15 October 2026.
  10. ↑ "The making of Michael Olise: The quiet kid who came alive on the pitch". The New York Times. 6 May 2026.
  11. ↑ Commolet, Clement (7 July 2026). "TÉMOIGNAGE. « En CE1, il tirait les corners du droit et du gauche » : Michael Olise vu par l'un de ses premiers coaches". Ouest-France. Archived from the original on 9 July 2026. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  12. ↑ "« Si en finale c'est Michael contre l'Angleterre, ce sera Michael » : aux origines d'Olise à Hayes, dans la banlieue de Londres, berceau d'un surdoué". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 2026-07-08.
  13. ↑ "World Cup: The origin story of France star Michael Olise". BBC Sport. 14 July 2026. Archived from the original on 10 October 2026.
  14. ↑ Poch, Alexis (9 September 2024). "Neymar et Messi inspirent le nouveau crack de Deschamps !". Le10Sport (in French). Archived from the original on 18 September 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
  15. ↑ Laurens, Julien (15 June 2026). "Why Michael Olise is the key to France's World Cup chances". www.espn.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  16. ↑ Saturnin, Hugo (3 September 2024). "Ligue des Nations : La première réaction de Michael Olise à sa convocation en Bleus". beIN SPORTS (in French). Archived from the original on 3 September 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Burrows, Tom; James, Stuart (2026-05-06). "The making of Michael Olise: The quiet kid who came alive on the pitch". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  18. ↑ "Michael Olise: Who be di France player wit Nigerian roots Chelsea wan sign for £35m". BBC News Pidgin. 2023-08-17. Archived from the original on 2024-12-21. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "Au coeur d'une bataille France-Angleterre: qui est Michael Olise, l'ailier français sur le point de rejoindre le Bayern Munich?". RMC Sport (in French). 2024-06-22. Archived from the original on 2026-06-09. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  20. ↑ "Michael Olise: Crystal Palace close to signing Reading forward". BBC Sport. 2021-07-07. Archived from the original on 2025-03-18. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  21. ↑ "Crystal Palace s'offre le prometteur Français Michael Olise". L'Équipe (in French). Archived from the original on 2026-06-09. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  22. ↑ "Ligue des nations. L'équipe de France s'incline logiquement contre l'Italie et ne rassure pas". Ouest-France (in French). 2024-09-06. Archived from the original on 2026-06-09. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  23. ↑ "From the Olympics to the France squad - meet Michael Olise". FIFA. 29 August 2024. Archived from the original on 20 July 2026. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
  24. ↑ "Top assisters at the World Cup 2026". FIFA. Archived from the original on 14 July 2026. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  25. ↑ "Most assists by a football (soccer) player at a FIFA World Cup tournament". Guiness World Records.
  26. ↑ "FC Bayern München deutscher Meister 2025: Leverkusen patzt gegen Freiburg in Bundesliga". FAZ.NET (in German). 4 May 2026. Archived from the original on 6 July 2025. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  27. ↑ "Bayern dreht nach Rückstand auf und kürt sich vorzeitig zum Deutschen Meister". kicker.de (in German). 19 April 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  28. ↑ "Hattrick Kane: Bayern gewinnt nach sechs Jahren Wartezeit den DFB-Pokal". kicker.de (in German). 23 May 2026. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  29. ↑ "Bayern München ist der erste Gewinner des Franz-Beckenbauer-Supercups". Spiegel (in German). 16 August 2025. Archived from the original on 17 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  30. ↑ "Bayern Munich top Borussia Dortmund to win German Supercup". ESPN. 22 August 2026. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  31. ↑ Ronay, Barney (9 August 2024). "Camello's extra-time double clinches football gold for Spain against France". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  32. ↑ "Germany 0-2 France report: Kylian Mbappé scores landmark goal as Les Bleus clinch Nations League third place". UEFA. 8 June 2025. Archived from the original on 8 June 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  33. ↑ "Who has made the top ten finalists at the Ballon d'Or? | DAZN News US". DAZN. 26 October 2026. Archived from the original on 26 October 2026. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
  34. ↑ "Michael Olise is your FC Bayern Player of the Season for 2024/25". fcbayern.com. 29 July 2025. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  35. ↑ "Michael Olise named FC Bayern Player of the Season 2025/26". fcbayern.com. 27 June 2026. Archived from the original on 28 June 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  36. ↑ "Bayern Munich's Michael Olise named 2025/26 Player of the Season". Bundesliga. 16 May 2026.
  37. ↑ "The EA FC 25 Bundesliga Team of the Season 2024/25". Bundesliga. 9 May 2025. Archived from the original on 15 May 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  38. ↑ "Check out the EA SPORTS FC 26 Bundesliga Team of the Season!". Bundesliga. 29 April 2026. Archived from the original on 18 May 2026. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
  39. ↑ "Olise free-kick named Palace's 22/23 Goal of the Season". Crystal Palace F.C. 24 May 2023. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  40. ↑ "Michael Olise named Players' Player of the Season 22/23". Crystal Palace F.C. 24 May 2023. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  41. ↑ "Championship Team of the Season 2020/21". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 16 July 2025. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  42. ↑ "FIFA World Cup 2026 Best XI: Which Players Made the Official Dream Team?". beIN SPORTS. 23 July 2026. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  43. ↑ "IFFHS Best Playmaker of the World Cup 2026 — M. Olise". iffhs.com. 2026-07-19. Archived from the original on 25 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  44. ↑ "IFFHS Team of the World Cup 2026". iffhs.com. 19 July 2026. Archived from the original on 23 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  45. ↑ Simms, George (29 February 2024). "Rice, Palmer and Postecoglou among winners at 2024 London Football Awards". The i Paper. Archived from the original on 24 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  46. ↑ "Norwich City dominate with six players in PFA Championship team of the year". BBC Sport. 3 June 2021. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  47. ↑ EFL (1 July 2026). "Reading to France World Cup star - Michael Olise's journey". EFL. Archived from the original on 1 July 2026. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  48. 1 2 "Michael Olise ist VDV-Spieler der Saison" (in German). VDV. 2 June 2026. Archived from the original on 1 July 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  49. ↑ "Florian Wirtz ist erneut VDV-Spieler der Saison" (in German). VDV. 28 May 2025. Archived from the original on 28 May 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  50. ↑ "2025/26 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season". UEFA. 31 May 2026. Archived from the original on 31 May 2026. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  51. ↑ "Michael Olise élu meilleur Français évoluant à l'étranger aux Trophées UNFP 2026" (in French). L'Équipe. 11 May 2026. Archived from the original on 14 May 2026. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  52. ↑ "Décret du 23 septembre 2024 portant promotion et nomination dans l'ordre national du Mérite" [Decree of 23 September 2024 on promotion and appointment to the National Order of Merit]. Journal officiel de la République française [Official Journal of the French Republic] (in French). 2024 (227). 24 September 2024. PRER2420330D. Archived from the original on 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  53. ↑ "Top assisters at the World Cup 2026". FIFA. Archived from the original on 14 July 2026. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  54. ↑ "Most assists by a football (soccer) player at a FIFA World Cup tournament". Guiness World Records.
  55. ↑ Lecea, Iñigo (24 July 2026). "Dentellada de Olise". Diario AS. Archived from the original on 26 July 2026. Retrieved 12 August 2026.

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