Henry and Ibrahimović hail Olise as the 'Tom Brady of France' after Morocco rout

France advanced to the 2026 World Cup semifinals with a 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Morocco at Foxborough’s Boston Stadium, a result that flattered the beaten side as Les Bleus rarely moved beyond second gear. Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé struck within six minutes of each other in the second half to seal a win that could have been far more emphatic.

Yet the performance that generated the most discussion came from a player who did not get on the scoresheet. Bayern Munich midfielder Michael Olise controlled the tempo throughout, threading line-breaking passes with a precision that drew comparisons to NFL legend Tom Brady from FOX Sports analysts Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović.

“I want to talk about the pass of Michael Olise,” Henry said. “As soon as you get the ball, it’s over. We’re here in Foxborough — Tom Brady, that’s one of your loop passes in between. This team is very good.”

Ibrahimović was equally effusive. “He did amazing again. He was the point guard. The Tom Brady of France today. When you have a player like Olise, don’t think, just run and the ball will arrive — and it will arrive exactly where you want it.”

The former Sweden striker also warned France’s remaining opponents about what an fully-committed version of this side could produce. “This France team is gonna destroy you, and it feels like they’re not even giving 100%,” Ibrahimović said. “Imagine if they would push and give 100%, where they suffer and they really push for it and fight for it.”

Mbappé had the chance to open the scoring earlier but saw a penalty saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, a rare blemish on an otherwise dominant French display. The miss did little to alter the overall picture of a side that looked a class above their opponents throughout.

France now await the winner of the Spain-Belgium semifinal. Henry acknowledged that the next assignment will be a considerably sterner test, regardless of the opponent. “If you play Belgium, there is a bit of rivalry there. And if you play Spain, you better be ready because they’re the European champions — they got France out of the last Euros in the semifinal,” he said. “I hope they’re going to have more gears, because whoever is coming next is going to be a big game.”