Michael Olise

Michael Akpovie Olise (; o-LEE-say; Urhobo: [à.k͡pɔ̀.vjɛ̀ ɔ̀.lí.sɛ̀]; French: [maikəl olisɛ]; born 12 December 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the France national team. Widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, he is known for his creative playmaking, tactical intelligence, elegance, and flair.

Born in London, Olise is a product of various English academies. He made his professional debut for Championship club Reading at 17 years old in 2019 and won EFL Young Player of the Season in 2021. He was then signed by Premier League club Crystal Palace, aged 19, where he spent three seasons and set various club and league records. He 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 the world. In his debut campaign, he was named as the league's Rookie of the Season and was nominated for the Ballon d'Or. The following year, he became the league's back-to-back assist leader and received VDV's and Bundesliga's Player of the Season awards. He has helped the club win two league titles and a DFB-Pokal.

Olise represented France at youth level and was included in their squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics, where he was top assister and received a silver medal. He made his debut for the senior French team in September 2024 and played at the 2026 FIFA World Cup where he registered a tournament-high seven assists — the most for any player in a single World Cup edition.