Michael Olise Chooses France Over England

Michael Olise, the London-born winger, elected to represent France instead of England, Algeria or Nigeria. Olise grew up in English football, breaking into Reading's first team before moving to Crystal Palace for £8 million in July 2021. Bayern Munich completed his transfer in 2024 for £51 million. He debuted for France's Under‑18 side at the Toulon Tournament in June 2019. Three years later he appeared for the France Under‑21 team in a 2‑0 win over the Faroe Islands. In 2024 Thierry Henry selected Olise for the Paris Olympic squad, where he scored in the opener against the United States and finished with two goals and five assists as France secured a silver medal. Olise earned the EFL Young Player of the Season award in 2021, impressed France's Under‑21 side, and was called up to Didier Deschamps' senior France squad in 2024, quickly becoming a regular. He is the son of a French‑Algerian mother and a Nigerian father, giving him four nationalities. In December 2024 he told FCBayern.com he feels a strong connection to France, Algeria, Nigeria and Great Britain. English is Olise's mother tongue, but he is improving his French, now able to conduct basic interviews. Early criticism of his language skills faded after strong performances for Bayern Munich. Olise netted his first international hat‑trick in a 3‑1 friendly victory over Northern Ireland, positioning him as a key figure for France ahead of the World Cup alongside Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé. A tactical diagram showed Harry Kane up top, a cluster of options on the left, Jude Bellingham in the hole and Michael Olise on the right, while Thomas Tuchel left Cole Palmer and Phil Foden out of his World Cup squad.