France continued their impressive FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a dominant 3-0 victory over Sweden to book their place in the Round of 16.
Kylian Mbappé once again starred for Les Bleus, scoring twice to take his tournament tally to six goals and move level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. Bradley Barcola added the third goal in another commanding performance by the French side.
However, despite Mbappé’s brilliance, former France defender Willy Sagnol reserved his highest praise for Michael Olise, who registered his fifth assist of the tournament.
Willy Sagnol Calls Michael Olise the World’s Best Player
Speaking to BILD, Sagnol described Olise as the best player in world football and insisted he deserves to win the Ballon d’Or.
“Olise is the best in the world, far ahead of all other players. If he doesn’t win the Ballon d’Or at the end of the year, something is seriously wrong with football,” Sagnol said.
The former defender praised Olise’s selfless style of play, saying the French winger always puts the team’s success ahead of individual achievements.
Compares Olise to Zidane, Messi and Ronaldo
Sagnol compared Olise’s mentality to that of French legend Zinedine Zidane while contrasting it with the more individual approach of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Olise is simply a pure team player, not an individualist. For our children, there is finally a great role model,” he said.
“To put it bluntly, Olise couldn’t care less whether he scores, provides an assist or not. You can see that he doesn’t think about doing something for himself but always looks at what helps the team.”
He continued, “Zinedine Zidane was exactly the same. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have dominated world football in the last 15 years, play a bit more for themselves and for their statistics. Nothing against Ronaldo and Messi—they are great. Olise is just a true team player.”
Sagnol Draws Contrast With Kylian Mbappé
Sagnol also highlighted the different roles and mindsets of Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappé within the French national team.
While acknowledging Mbappé’s exceptional talent and goalscoring ability, he suggested the captain is naturally more focused on his personal performances.
“Mbappe is more focused on himself, on his career, on his goals. That’s why there is often a bit of criticism of him,” Sagnol said.
France March Into the Round of 16
France have emerged as one of the strongest teams at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Their comfortable victory over Sweden secured qualification for the knockout stage, with Mbappé leading the attack in sensational form.
The Real Madrid forward now has six goals in the tournament, drawing level with Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot standings.
Meanwhile, Michael Olise has quietly become one of the competition’s standout creators, contributing five assists and playing a crucial role in France’s unbeaten run.
With both Mbappé and Olise in top form, France will head into the Round of 16 as one of the favorites to lift the FIFA World Cup trophy.