Michael Olise laid down a devastating marker on Sunday, scoring a stunning hat-trick as France crushed Northern Ireland 3-1 in their final World Cup warm-up. The Bayern Munich forward's performance sent a warning shot to the rest of the tournament, and it came just as Real Madrid reportedly prepared a £130m bid for his services — a move Bayern's president Herbert Hainer immediately rejected, insisting the former Crystal Palace winger is not for sale.
The 24-year-old has only 16 senior caps and four goals for Les Bleus, but those who know him best believe he is about to become a household name. Former France international Gael Clichy, who worked with Olise as an assistant coach under Thierry Henry for the French under-23 team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is convinced this is his moment.
“Michael Olise scored a hat-trick as France beat Northern Ireland, with Gael Clichy tipping him as the tournament's breakout star.”
"Sometimes a player just seems to have a perfect moment, a tournament where they really announce themselves as a superstar on the biggest stage," Clichy told BBC Sport. "We saw it happen with Kylian Mbappe for France at the 2018 World Cup. This summer, I hope Michael Olise can do the same."
Clichy described Olise as "the player I am most looking forward to seeing play game after game at this level", adding: "If he can take the season he has just had for Bayern, and bring his magic to the World Cup, then he will be seen as one of the very best that we have in France."
Olise's hat-trick against Northern Ireland — his first for the national team — will only heighten expectation as Didier Deschamps' side prepare to open their World Cup campaign in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The forward arrived in Germany from Crystal Palace after the 2024 Olympics, where Clichy saw his quality first-hand. "I thought then that could have been his moment," Clichy recalled, noting that France reached the final and almost won gold. "But the World Cup is something different."
With Real Madrid circling and Bayern standing firm, Olise's club future remains uncertain. But for now, all attention is on the pitch — and a player who, according to Clichy, "everyone knows quite well already" but who is still "very new on the international scene". The World Cup stage awaits.