Nine assists in one year: Olise joins Raymond Kopa in France's legend

Michael Olise wrote a page of history on Friday evening in Izmit by delivering his ninth assist of the year for the France national team, during the Blues’ victory in Turkey (0-1). No French international had reached this total in a calendar year since Raymond Kopa in 1958, marking 67 years of statistical drought.

The Bayern Munich winger set up Kylian Mbappé in the 54th minute for the match’s only goal, allowing Zinédine Zidane to begin his tenure as France manager with a victory — a first for a France coach since Aimé Jacquet in February 1994. The evening was however overshadowed by Mbappé’s left knee injury, sustained as he struck the ball.

Olise’s performance takes on even greater significance on a global scale. During the 2026 World Cup in the United States last summer, he had already compiled seven assists, a record in the competition’s history. At 24, the Watford native has established himself as one of the most prolific creators in international football, across all generations.

The comparison with Kopa is not insignificant. The Reims native achieved his benchmark season at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, where France finished third. Olise has already surpassed that total by counting all his appearances in 2025 with the Blues. The next opportunity to extend the gap will present itself on Monday in Belgium, for the second match of the qualifying campaign.