Michael Olise leads 2026 World Cup with three assists after just two matches
The Bayern Munich winger has been France's most dangerous creative weapon in the group stage, topping the tournament's assist chart with a blend of precision and flair
Two games into the 2026 World Cup, and Michael Olise sits alone atop the assists leaderboard with three, a number that took most players at the 2022 edition an entire group stage (or more) to reach.
France’s creative engine has been surgical in his first two outings. One assist came in the 3-1 win over Senegal on June 16, and another followed in the 3-0 demolition of Iraq on June 22.
A debut for the history books
Olise didn’t just show up against Senegal. The 24-year-old earned Man of the Match honors in his very first World Cup appearance, finishing the game with 100% shot accuracy and multiple chances created on top of his assist.
France now sits in a commanding position in Group I. With six points from two matches and a goal difference of plus-five, Les Bleus look every bit as dangerous as the pre-tournament hype suggested.
Built on a monster club season
His 2025/26 campaign with Bayern Munich produced 27 goals and 33 assists across 61 appearances for club and country. That’s 60 goal involvements in 61 games.
His partnership with Kylian Mbappe has been particularly lethal. Where Mbappe’s game thrives on direct, high-speed runs into channels, Olise operates as the creator who can unlock defenses from wider positions or between the lines, giving opposition defenders an impossible choice: collapse on Mbappe and leave Olise free, or track Olise and watch Mbappe disappear behind the backline.
In his first 19 caps for France, Olise has been involved in 11 goals. That rate, roughly a goal involvement every 1.7 matches, mirrors a record previously set by Mbappe himself during his early international career.
What this means for the tournament
For France, Olise’s emergence solves a problem that has quietly nagged the team in recent tournaments: over-reliance on individual brilliance from Mbappe. With Olise operating as a genuine second creative force, France’s attack has become significantly harder to neutralize.
Olise’s name is already being mentioned among the Golden Ball candidates. At Bayern, he played 61 matches across a grueling season, meaning physical freshness could become a factor as the tournament progresses into the knockout rounds.