Olise Chases Pelé Record After Chelsea and Man City Released Him
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- Michael Olise, 24, became the first player to assist five goals at one World Cup since Germany's Thomas Hassler in 1994, going into France's last-16 tie with Paraguay.
- Olise recorded 25 goals and 28 assists for Bayern Munich this season, following 17 goals and 18 assists in his first campaign — 88 goal involvements across two Bundesliga seasons.
- Released by Chelsea at 14 and then Manchester City, Olise joined Reading at 16 only after recruiter Brendan Flanagan convinced club bosses to sign him, fighting biases against his quiet personality.
- Crystal Palace activated an £8m release clause in July 2021; when Chelsea attempted to re-sign him for £35m in 2023, Olise instead signed a new deal at Selhurst Park.
- Bayern Munich signed Olise for about £50m after the 2023-24 season, with the forward asking the club to let him complete the Paris Olympics before joining — France lost the final to Spain.
- Olise is one assist from equalling Pelé's record of six assists at a single World Cup.
Why it matters: Bayern Munich landed a Ballon d'Or contender for £50m after Chelsea and Manchester City released him for nothing as a teenager — and France now have a 24-year-old one assist from matching Pelé's World Cup record heading into the knockout rounds.
