Former Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry has hailed compatriot Michael Olise as a "freak" and a "boy on another planet" following the striker's standout performances at the ongoing FIFA World Cup. Olise, who plays for France, recorded his fifth assist of the tournament during a 3-0 victory over Sweden on Tuesday, drawing comparisons to football icons Pelé and Thomas Häßler.
Olise's historic assist tally
According to Opta Analyst, Olise became the first player to register five or more assists in a single FIFA World Cup since Germany's Thomas Häßler in 1994, who also had five. The only player in history with more assists in a single edition is Brazilian legend Pelé, who recorded six assists in the 1970 tournament. Olise's contributions have been pivotal to France's campaign.
Henry's high praise
Speaking on Fox Sports, as quoted by Goal.com, Henry emphasized Olise's work rate off the ball. "As I said before the start of the tournament, what he does without the ball is second to none. A lot of people focus on what a lad does with the ball. And normally, when you are that kind of player with outstanding technique, you sometimes forget your defensive duties. He does not do that!" Henry said.
Henry, who coached Olise as manager of the France under-23 team at the Paris 2024 Olympics, described his former player as exceptional. "Michael is a freak. The way he perceives things is different from other people. When things are not going the way he wants because he is so much quicker in his head, then he gets slightly annoyed. But what a player!" he added. Henry recalled moments from training: "Sometimes in training he did things where you had to hold yourself back from saying: 'Wow!' Because as a coach you do not do that. But you speak to your assistant and say: 'Did you see what he did?' This boy is on another planet and he is different."
Sagnol calls for Ballon d'Or
Former Bayern Munich star Willy Sagnol also lauded Olise, asserting that the striker deserves the Ballon d'Or. Speaking to BILD, as quoted by Goal.com, Sagnol said, "Olise is the best in the world, far ahead of all other players. If he does not win the Ballon d'Or at the end of the year, something is seriously wrong with football."
Sagnol contrasted Olise's style with that of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, describing Olise as a "pure team player." He stated, "Olise is simply a pure team player, not an individualist. For our children, there is finally a great role model... To put it bluntly, Olise could not care less whether he scores, provides an assist, or not. You can see that he does not think about doing something for himself, but always looks at what helps the team." Sagnol added that former France World Cup winners carried the same mentality, while Ronaldo and Messi "play a bit more for themselves and their statistics." He concluded, "Nothing against Ronaldo and Messi, they are great. Olise is just a true team player."
Impact on France's World Cup run
Olise's performances have been instrumental in France's progress in the tournament. With five assists and a growing reputation, he has emerged as a key figure in the squad. Henry and Sagnol's endorsements underscore his potential to join the ranks of football's elite.
