Olise matches Dembélé's tally in 28 caps where PSG forward needed 70

Michael Olise has reached in 28 appearances with the France national team the same total of direct contributions as Ousmane Dembélé in 70 outings: 19, comprising 9 goals and 10 assists for Bayern Munich’s player, against 13 goals and 6 assists for PSG’s forward.

The figure becomes even more striking in light of recent weeks. In France’s last three Nations League matches, Olise set up Kylian Mbappé in the victory in Turkey (0-1), scored the decisive goal in the 88th minute in Belgium (0-1) and opened the scoring with a free kick into the top corner against Italy (1-1) on Friday evening at Stade de France. Three direct contributions, three wins or draws secured.

Promoted to the France squad in autumn 2024 by Didier Deschamps, the 24-year-old left-footed attacking midfielder quickly established himself as an exceptional creator of chances. Capable of making a difference with the ball at his feet, setting teammates up or finishing after a dribble on the edge of the box, he now occupies the right wing of the 4-3-3 system implemented by Zinédine Zidane. At club level, he has compiled 42 goals and 54 assists in his first two seasons at Bayern Munich.

Against the Italians on Friday, Dembélé delivered a performance well below expectations. Repositioned as a striker by Zidane after being moved into a central role by Luis Enrique in winter 2025, the 29-year-old still struggles to find the consistency that would allow him to make an impact in major tournaments. The contrast with Olise, whose ability to unlock difficult situations appears intact match after match, is all the more striking.