Reported by: Puis Althea | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
France winger Michael Olise has written his name into football history, breaking a record that stood for 56 years by registering seven assists at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, surpassing the legendary Pelé's long-standing mark of six assists set at the 1970 tournament in Mexico. The 24-year-old Bayern Munich star achieved the milestone during France's third-place playoff against England at Miami Stadium on Saturday, July 18, 2026, setting up both of Kylian Mbappé's goals in a breathtaking 6-4 defeat.
Olise entered the contest with five assists to his name. He had previously assisted Mbappé in France's tournament opener against Senegal before delivering braces of assists against both Iraq and Sweden. His first contribution in the third-place match came three minutes after the restart when he picked out Mbappé, who pulled one back for France. The record-breaking moment arrived in the 66th minute when Olise played a clever one-two sequence with Mbappé for France's third goal of the game. It marked Olise's seventh assist of the tournament, breaking Pelé's record that had stood for 56 years.
The record-breaking sequence was a double celebration for France, as Mbappé's goal also took his World Cup tally to 22, making him the all-time leading goalscorer in tournament history, surpassing Lionel Messi. Mbappé finished the tournament with 10 goals, becoming the first player in 56 years to reach double figures and only the fourth player in World Cup history to do so.
Despite Olise's historic achievement, France's record-breaking feat came in a losing cause as they fell 6-4 to England in a thrilling, 10-goal encounter that will go down as the highest-scoring third-place playoff in modern tournament history. England took absolute control of the first half, leaving Les Bleus shell-shocked with an unprecedented 4-0 lead before the interval. A furious French resurgence in the second half saw them pull within one goal, but England held on to secure the bronze medal.
Olise's record-breaking tournament caps a stellar season for the Bayern Munich winger. He finished the 2025-26 Bundesliga campaign with 15 goals and 19 assists, playing a key role as Bayern secured both the league title and the DFB-Pokal. With his 36th assist of the season across club and national team levels, Olise also broke Lionel Messi's record for the most assists in a single season (34). Notably, the majority of Olise's assists at the 2026 World Cup came from open play situations, demonstrating his exceptional observational skills and creative influence on the pitch. Despite France leaving the tournament empty-handed, Olise departs with a place in World Cup history, having set a new benchmark for creativity that may stand for decades to come.
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