World Cup 2026: Michael Olise Breaks Pele's Assist Record Despite France's Defeat to England
- Michael Olise has become the FIFA World Cup's all-time leading assist provider in a single tournament
- The 24-year-old moved to the top of the all-time standings, overtaking Brazilian legend Pelé with his latest contribution
- However, Olise's record-breaking display was not enough to save France, as England held on to claim the bronze medal
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Michael Olise's outstanding 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign ended in disappointment, but not before the France playmaker carved his name into football history.
The Bayern Munich star became the player with the most assists in a single World Cup after producing two more in France's dramatic 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place playoff on July 18.
Source: Getty Images
Michael Olise surpasses Pelé's World Cup assist record
Olise entered the contest with five assists and added to that tally as Les Bleus attempted an unlikely comeback after conceding four first-half goals.
His first contribution came three minutes after the restart when he picked out Kylian Mbappe, who pulled one back for France. Moments later, Mbappe turned provider for Bradley Barcola to reduce the deficit further.
Olise then combined with Mbappe again in the 66th minute, delivering another precise pass for the France captain to score and bring the score to 6-5 before England eventually sealed victory. Ousmane Dembele also found the net deep into stoppage time.
The second assist of the evening took Olise to seven for the tournament, breaking the previous World Cup record of six set by Brazilian legend Pelé during the 1970 edition.
The achievement underlined the 24-year-old's influence throughout the competition, even though he finished the tournament without scoring a goal.
Olise's historic moment ends in defeat
Despite his record-breaking display, Olise would have preferred a different outcome, as France missed out on finishing third.
The winger also passed up several promising chances to get on the scoresheet, but his creativity remained a constant threat until the final whistle.
Although France leave the tournament empty-handed, Olise departs with a place in World Cup history.
His seven assists set a new benchmark and capped a breakthrough campaign that established him as one of the competition's standout performers.
Source: YEN.com.gh
