France star Michael Olise on the brink of matching mind-boggling World Cup record

Analysis

Matthew Judge | Editor

Michael Olise is on the verge of matching a mind-boggling World Cup record after helping inspire France to a 3-0 win over Sweden on Tuesday.

Olise teed up Bradley Barcola with a sumptuous through ball before doing the same for Kylian Mbappe as Les Bleus booked their place in the last 16.

With another two assists in New Jersey, Olise has now taken his tally up to five - a dazzling return from just four appearances at this year's World Cup.

Expectations were high pre-tournament following an excellent club season with Bayern Munich, and the 24-year-old has more than delivered so far.

So much so that Olise now stands on the brink of a historic World Cup feat which has stood for a whopping 56 years.

Should Olise chalk up a sixth assist in France’s last-16 tie with Paraguay on Saturday, he will match the record for the most in a single tournament since 1966.

Olise looking to match Pele's incredible assist record

The man who currently holds that honour is Pele, the greatest player in World Cup history, who recorded six assists in Brazil’s 1970 success in Mexico.

Pele, who was five years older than Olise (29) in 1970, also scored four goals as he and Brazil won the World Cup for the third time in their history.

What makes Pele’s efforts in 1970 even more remarkable is the fact that he only ever recorded six World Cup assists, with every one coming in the same edition.

Two men are tied for the most assists in World Cup history, with Argentina icons Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona leading the way with eight apiece.

While Olise will be hoping to match Pele’s record for the most in a single tournament, he could feasibly surpass Messi and Maradona in the all-time charts as well.

Next up for Olise and France: Paraguay

Boasting an attack which includes Mbappe, Barcola and Desire Doue, Olise knows that if he plays a great pass through to a team-mate, there is a high chance the end result will be a goal.

France, who are looking to reach a third successive World Cup final this summer, have scored at least three goals in all four of their matches so far.

Olise helped get the ball rolling with a magnificent pass for Mbappe’s opener in the win over Senegal, before calving Iraq open with another two assists.

And so the message to Paraguay is clear: beware of Olise, for whom history beckons in the round of 16 in Philadelphia.

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