France midfielder Michael Olise has etched his name into FIFA World Cup history after surpassing Brazilian legend Pele’s long-standing assist record, despite France’s dramatic 6-4 defeat to England in the 2026 World Cup third-place playoff.
The Bayern Munich star registered two assists during the entertaining encounter, taking his total to seven assists in the tournament—more than any player has managed in a single FIFA World Cup campaign.
The previous record of six assists was set by Pele during the 1970 World Cup in Mexico and had remained unmatched for more than five decades.
One of the standout features of Olise’s campaign was his partnership with France captain Kylian Mbappe. DailyInsightNG gathered that five of Olise’s seven assists directly led to goals scored by Mbappe, making it the most assists provided by one player to the same teammate in a single World Cup tournament.
Although Olise finished the competition without scoring, his creativity proved crucial to France’s journey deep into the tournament, establishing him as one of the standout playmakers of the 2026 edition.
The record is expected to further boost the 24-year-old’s growing reputation as one of Europe’s most influential attacking midfielders ahead of the new club season.