Michael Olise
Professional footballer (born 2001)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Akpovie Olise (/ˈɒˈliseɪ/;[2] o-LEE-say; Urhobo: [à.k͡pɔ̀.vjɛ̀ ɔ̀.lí.sɛ̀]; French: [maikəl olisɛ];[3][4] born 12 December 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Born in England, he plays for the France national team. He is regarded as one of the best players in the world.[A]
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Olise with France in 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Michael Akpovie Olise | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 12 December 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | White City, London, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Positions | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Bayern Munich | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Hayes & Yeading United | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Arsenal | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2016 | Chelsea | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Manchester City | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Reading | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Reading | 67 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | Crystal Palace | 82 | (14) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Bayern Munich | 66 | (27) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | France U18 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | France U21 | 7 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | France Olympic | 9 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | France | 24 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:28, 16 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 16:16, 15 July 2026 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
The product of various English academies, Olise made his professional debut for Championship club Reading in 2019. In 2021, he was signed by Premier League club Crystal Palace, where he spent three seasons and was nominated for PFA Young Player of the Year in 2024, before moving to Bayern Munich. At Bayern, Olise emerged as one of the most dominant wingers in Europe; in 2025–26, he was named the VDV Bundesliga Player of the Season, as well as Bayern's Player of the Season for the second consecutive year. He has helped the club win two Bundesliga titles and a DFB-Pokal.
Olise represented France at youth level and was included in their squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics, receiving a silver medal. He made his debut for the senior French team in September 2024, and played at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Early life
Michael Akpovie Olise[9] was born on 12 December 2001[10] in White City, London, England, and raised in the suburb of Hayes.[11] His mother, Mina, is Franco-Algerian[12] while his father, Vincent, is a British-Nigerian deacon who was an international cricket player for Nigeria.[13][14] He has a younger brother, Richard.[15] Raised in a tight-knit and multicultural family,[16] Olise characterizes himself as coming "from four countries: France, Algeria, Nigeria, and England"[17] all of which he regularly spent time in during childhood.[13] He spoke both English and French at home.[18][17] On his upbringing, he has stated:
"I have many different connections with Nigeria, Algeria, France, and England. It's not something I think about every day; it's perfectly normal for me. I carry little things from each country within me. It has broadened my horizons because these cultures are quite different from one another. At home, I had three cultures thanks to my parents. And outside, it was England, where I grew up. I didn't have to force this mix; it was just there."[19]
Olise attended Dr Triplett’s Primary School, the Douay Martyrs School, and St Bede's College.[20] Described by former teachers and coaches as a good student and extremely shy and quiet, he excelled in various sports including football, cricket, and table tennis.[14] In addition, he was a cross-country running champion for the London borough of Hillingdon and a district sports gold medallist in the 400 metres.[20] As a youth, Olise idolised French footballers Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry and dreamt of joining France’s national football team.[21]
Club career
Early career
Olise joined Hayes & Yeading United around the age of six, before briefly joining Arsenal and then moving to Chelsea Academy.[11][20] He spent seven years with Chelsea before leaving at the age of 14, and also had a youth spell with Manchester City.[22]
Reading
In July 2018, Olise was inducted into Reading's Academy scholarship program.[23][24] He made his debut for Reading on 12 March 2019, in a 3–0 home defeat to Leeds United,[25] and on 15 July, he signed a three-year professional contract with the club.[26] He scored his first league goal for Reading on 19 September 2020, volleying home in the 76th minute with the second goal in a 2–0 win over Barnsley at the Madejski Stadium.[27]
In April 2021 he was nominated for the EFL Young Player of the Season.[28][29] On 29 April 2021, he was crowned EFL Young Player of the Season.[30]
Crystal Palace
On 8 July 2021, Olise signed a five-year deal with Premier League side Crystal Palace after they had activated his £8.37 million release clause.[31] On 11 September, he made his Premier League debut for the club in a 3–0 home win against Tottenham Hotspur after coming on as a substitute in the 86th minute in place of Jordan Ayew.[32][33] Later that month, on 23 September, Olise made his full debut for Crystal Palace in a 1–1 home draw against Newcastle United.[34][35] On 3 October 2021, Olise scored his first Premier League goal for the club as a second-half substitute in a 2–2 home draw against Leicester City.[36] In doing so he became Palace's youngest Premier League scorer since Clinton Morrison in 1998.[37]
On 9 April 2023, Olise became the youngest player to assist three goals from open play in a single Premier League match in a 5–1 victory against Leeds United.[38][39] On 13 May, he became the first Palace player to register ten assists in a single Premier League season, setting up Eberechi Eze's second goal in a 2–0 win against Bournemouth.[40] On 17 August 2023, it was announced Olise had signed a new four-year deal with Crystal Palace, amidst reports that he was on the verge of re-joining Chelsea.[41]
Olise suffered a hamstring injury described by Palace manager Roy Hodgson as "serious" in a 4–1 defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion on 3 February 2024, having only just come on as a substitute.[42] He returned from injury in April that year, which was followed by strong performances including scoring a brace in a 4–0 victory over Manchester United on 6 May.[43][44] He eventually concluded the season with ten goals and six assists in just 19 appearances across the season, having been invigorated under new coach Oliver Glasner, and was later nominated for PFA Young Player of the Year.[45] His impressive form attracted interest from other Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Newcastle United.[46][47] On 7 July, Crystal Palace announced that he had completed a permanent transfer to Bayern Munich, with Olise penning the club a farewell message on Instagram.[48]
Bayern Munich
2024–25: Rookie of the Season
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On 7 July 2024, Bundesliga club Bayern Munich announced the signing of Olise from Crystal Palace on a five-year contract valid through to 30 June 2029,[49][50] for a reported transfer fee of €60m including add-ons.[51] Olise made his debut as a substitute in a 4–0 DFB-Pokal win against SSV Ulm on 16 August, registering an assist for Kingsley Coman's goal within two minutes of entering the pitch.[52] On 14 September, he scored his first Bundesliga goal in a 6–1 victory over Holstein Kiel.[53] Three days later, he scored a brace, his first goals at the Allianz Arena, on his UEFA Champions League debut, a 9–2 win over Dinamo Zagreb.[54] He concluded his debut season with 12 goals and 15 assists, ending as the league's top assist provider.[55] His performances earned him a spot in the 2024–25 Bundesliga Team of the Season, as well as the league’s Rookie of the Season award.[56][57]
On 15 June 2025, he netted a brace in a 10–0 win against Auckland City in the opening match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup,[58] before scoring the winner in a 2–1 victory against Boca Juniors, securing his club's qualification to the competition's knockout phase.[59] The following month, he was nominated for the 2025 Ballon d'Or.[60]
2025–26: Player of the Season
On 22 August 2025, Olise scored his first goals of the season by netting a brace in a 6–0 win over RB Leipzig.[61] On 15 April 2026, he netted a stoppage-time winner in a 4–3 triumph over Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final second leg, sending his team through to the semi-finals.[62] A month later, on 9 May, he scored in a 1–0 away win over Wolfsburg, becoming only the second player since detailed records began in 2004–05 to record at least 15 goals and 15 assists in a single Bundesliga season, after Jadon Sancho in 2019–20.[63] He was eventually voted the Bundesliga Player of the Season.[64][65]
International career
Aside from England, Olise was eligible to represent France, Algeria, or Nigeria internationally through his parentage.[66] When asked why he chose to represent France rather than England, Olise said, "I have always had a connection with the France national team, that is why I play for France."[67] "It's been my dream since I was a kid" to play in the French team.[68] His mother, Mina, sent tapes of her son to the French Football Federation which was eventually seen by Jean-Luc Vannuchi, the coach of the French national under-18 team at the time.[16]
Youth
On 27 May 2019, Olise was called up to the France national under-18 team for the 2019 Toulon Tournament.[69] He made his debut on 2 June 2019, against Qatar U23. In March 2021, Olise was named as a standby for the Nigeria squad taking part in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho.[70] In March 2022, Olise was called up to the France under-21 team for the first time,[71] and made his debut in the side's 2–0 win over the Faroe Islands on 24 March.[72]
On 8 July 2024, he was called up in France's final squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics.[73] He had previously received his first cap with the French Olympic team on 4 July during a friendly game against Paraguay.[74] One week later, on 11 July, he scored his first two goals during another friendly match, a 7–0 win against the Dominican Republic.[75] On 24 July, during France's Olympic opener against the United States, he scored a goal, contributing to the team's 3–0 victory.[76] He ended the tournament with two goals and five assists as France finished runners-up, winning the silver medal.
Senior
On 29 August 2024, Olise was called up to the senior France national team for the first time by manager Didier Deschamps, for their matches against Italy and Belgium in the UEFA Nations League.[77] He made his debut on 6 September against Italy at the Parc des Princes, starting the game and playing 58 minutes in a 3–1 loss.[78]
On 23 March 2025, he scored his first senior goal for France in a 2–0 win over Croatia in the second leg of the Nations League quarter-finals, also recording an assist to help his side overturn a two-goal aggregate deficit and advance to the next stage of the competition.[79] During the Nations League Finals on 8 June, he netted in a 2–0 victory against Germany in the third place play-off.[80]
On 11 May 2026, he was named in the France squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[81] A month later, on 8 June, he netted his first international hat-trick in a 3–1 friendly victory over Northern Ireland.[82] He made his World Cup debut against Senegal, providing an assist and earning Man of the Match honours in a 3–1 victory.[83][84] He provided two assists in a 3–0 win over Sweden in the round of 32, bringing his total to five assists in the tournament, becoming the first player to reach that tally since Thomas Häßler in 1994.[85] Olise received a yellow card against Paraguay in the Round of 16 after a late clash with Matías Galarza, putting him at risk of suspension in the later stages.[86] In the semi-final against Spain, he had limited influence, completing no dribbles and registering no shots on target against Spain's defensive structure in a match that ended in a 2–0 defeat.[87]
Style of play
Olise possesses a range of passing skills, which he can often use to play behind the opposition's defence or switch the angle of attack. He likes to operate 50 to 30 yards out from goal in the right half-space, where he can use various options to continue the attack. Though mainly left footed, Olise is also capable of scoring with either of his feet.[88][89]
On the ball, Olise is an agile and mobile player. He is capable of turning quickly with good acceleration and change of pace, even when he is dribbling in very tight spaces or running with the ball.[90] In an interview with Bayern Munich's magazine 51, Olise spoke of his idolisation for Neymar as a child, stating that he "liked his tricky style of play. You learn things from lots of players, though – that way you become complete."[17]
Personal life
Known for his shy, reserved demeanour and his dislike for giving interviews,[91] Olise has been affectionately given the nickname "Mr. Nonchalant" by fans and various media outlets.[92][93] He has not signed a sports brand contract to have the creative freedom to coordinate his boots with whatever kit he wears.[94][95]
Olise has an IQ of 127.[96] He is a keen chess player having been taught by his mother in childhood.[97] He regularly plays chess "to shift the focus onto something else [other than football]".[17]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 23 May 2026
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Reading | 2018–19[98] | Championship | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20[99] | Championship | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21[100] | Championship | 44 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 46 | 7 | |||
| Total | 67 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 73 | 7 | ||||
| Crystal Palace | 2021–22[101] | Premier League | 26 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 4 | ||
| 2022–23[102] | Premier League | 37 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 2 | |||
| 2023–24[103] | Premier League | 19 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 10 | |||
| Total | 82 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 90 | 16 | ||||
| Bayern Munich | 2024–25[104] | Bundesliga | 34 | 12 | 2 | 0 | — | 14[c] | 5 | 5[d] | 3 | 55 | 20 | |
| 2025–26[105] | Bundesliga | 32 | 15 | 6 | 2 | — | 13[c] | 5 | 1[e] | 0 | 52 | 22 | ||
| Total | 66 | 27 | 8 | 2 | — | 27 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 107 | 42 | |||
| Career total | 215 | 47 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 27 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 270 | 64 | ||
- Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- Appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
- Appearance in Franz Beckenbauer Supercup
International
- As of match played 14 July 2026[106]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 2024 | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 4 | |
| 2026 | 11 | 3 | |
| Total | 24 | 7 | |
- As of match played 14 July 2026
- France score listed first, score column indicates score after each Olise goal[106]
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 March 2025 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France | 6 |  Croatia | 1–0 | 2–0 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p) | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A | [107] |
| 2 | 8 June 2025 | MHPArena, Stuttgart, Germany | 8 |  Germany | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals | [108] |
| 3 | 5 September 2025 | Wrocław Stadium, Wrocław, Poland | 9 |  Ukraine | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | [109] |
| 4 | 13 November 2025 | Parc des Princes, Paris, France | 13 | Ukraine | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | [110] |
| 5 | 8 June 2026 | Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille, France | 17 |  Northern Ireland | 1–0 | 3–1 | Friendly | [111] |
| 6 | 2–0 | |||||||
| 7 | 3–1 |
Honours
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2024–25,[112] 2025–26[113]
- DFB-Pokal: 2025–26[114]
- Franz Beckenbauer Supercup: 2025[115]
France U23
- Summer Olympics silver medal: 2024[116]
France
- UEFA Nations League third place: 2024–25[117]
Individual
- Ballon d’Or nominee: 2025[60]
- EFL Championship Young Player of the Season: 2020–21[118]
- EFL Championship Team of the Season: 2020–21[119]
- Premier League Goal of the Month: January 2023[120]
- PFA Team of the Year: 2020–21 Championship[121]
- Reading Scholar of the Season: 2018−19[122]
- Crystal Palace Players' Player of the Season: 2022–23[123]
- Crystal Palace Goal of the Season: 2022–23[124]
- Bundesliga Rookie of the Season: 2024–25[125]
- Bundesliga Player of the Month: April 2025,[126] November 2025, January 2026[127]
- Bundesliga Rookie of the Month: October 2024[128]
- Bundesliga Goal of the Month: April 2026, May 2026[129]
- Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2024–25,[130] 2025–26[131]
- VDV Bundesliga Player of the Season: 2025–26[132]
- VDV Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2024–25,[133] 2025–26[132]
- UNFP Best French Player Playing Abroad: 2025–26[134]
- Bundesliga Player of the Season: 2025–26[135]
- UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2025–26[136]
Orders
