Soccer
Can France's 'Freak' Michael Olise break a 68-year-old World Cup record?
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After yet another breathtaking display in France's 3-0 win over Sweden in the Round of 32, Michael Olise is threatening to rewrite history.
By providing two more assists for Didier Deschamps' side, the French talisman has given himself a chance to break a World Cup record that has stood for 68 years.
Here's where Olise's assist total compares to some of the game's former greats, and what he must do to surpass them.
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Olise, already in rare World Cup company
Described by Thierry Henry as a "freak" because of the way "he sees everything so perfectly", Olise has been the ultimate provider at the tournament so far.
Topping the assist list with five, the same creative spark so often on display at club level has been evident for his national side over the last few weeks.
Since 1966, only a handful of players have reached or surpassed five assists in a single World Cup.
Brazilian legend Pele had six in 1970, and four others have managed five: Thomas Hassler for Germany in 1994, Diego Maradona for Argentina in 1986, West Germany's Pierre Littbarski in 1982, and Poland's Robert Gadocha in 1974.
Of course, that list comprises just those recognised by Opta, whose data only stretches back to 1966, meaning it excludes the man who holds the record outright.
That person, Olise's countryman, Raymond Kopa, sits in a tier of his own, after setting up eight goals during France's 1958 campaign.
| Player | Country | Assists | World Cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raymond Kopa | France | 8 | 1958 |
| Pele | Brazil | 6 | 1970 |
| Michael Olise | France | 5 | 2026 |
| Robert Gadocha | Poland | 5 | 1974 |
| Pierre Littbarski | West Germany | 5 | 1982 |
| Diego Maradona | Argentina | 5 | 1986 |
| Thomas Hassler | Germany | 5 | 1994 |
Can Olise break the World Cup assists record?
Olise has produced his five assists in only four games, and France, arguably the most dominant team at the World Cup so far, are heavily fancied to reach the final.
If that happens, it gives Olise four more games, which, at his current pace of 1.25 assists per game, would mean another five assists, taking him two clear of Kopa's record.
But of course, it's not as simple as that.
Even if France made it to the final, Olise would need to continue setting up goals at the same breakneck pace, no easy feat, considering France's opponents will become increasingly tough.
That said, given the form Olise's shown so far, and the way his teammates are converting the chances he's creating, we cannot bet against him making this record his own.
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