Michael Olise Equals Pele's 56-Year-Old Record with 7 Assists in the 2026 World Cup

French winger Michael Olise made history as the player with the most assists in a single tournament at the 2026 World Cup. In the third-place match against England, which ended in a 6-4 defeat, Olise provided two goal passes to Kylian Mbappe, increasing his total assist count to seven and surpassing the six-assist record held by Brazilian legend Pele since 1970.

Despite Olise's individual success, the French team's struggle against England ended in disappointment. Falling behind 4-0 in the first half with goals from Saka, Rice, and Konsa, France reduced the gap to one with goals from Mbappe and Barcola in the second half, but still lost the match 6-4. Mbappe, who scored two goals in this match, also reached a total of 22 goals, taking the title of the all-time top scorer in World Cup history from Messi.

Following the tournament, attention also turned to Olise's outstanding season performance in the Bundesliga. The 24-year-old player, who finished the 2025-26 season with Bayern Munich with 15 goals and 19 assists, played a major role in his team's domestic double. While Olise's assist record in a single tournament places him among the legends, he still has a five-assist margin to equal Lionel Messi's overall World Cup record of 12 assists.