Michael Olise named Bundesliga Player of the Season as Bayern Munich star labelled 'poster boy' for German top-flight

Olise has been voted the Bundesliga’s Player of the Season for 2025-26 following a dominant year at the Allianz Arena. DFL CEOs Marc Lenz and Steffen Merkel presented the 24-year-old France international with the prestigious award shortly before handing over the Bundesliga Meisterschale to the champions on Saturday.

The winger has enjoyed a meteoric rise since moving to Bavaria, following in the footsteps of previous winners such as club-mate Harry Kane, Florian Wirtz, and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham. The award cements Olise's place among the elite of German football.

The hierarchy of German football was full of praise for the former Crystal Palace man during the presentation ceremony. "Michael Olise is a spectacular player who can make the difference, who has made his mark in the 2025-26 Bundesliga season with his dynamism, finesse, consistency and goals," Lenz and Merkel said in a joint statement.

They continued by highlighting his importance to the league's global brand: "He’s developed into a poster boy for the league on a national and international level in the last two years, standing for both footballing and athletic excellence. We’d like to congratulate Michael on his victory and his outstanding season for Bayern."

Olise’s numbers this term have been nothing short of historic. He finished the season with 15 goals and 19 assists in the Bundesliga, becoming the first player since the 2019-20 season to contribute at least 15 of each in a single campaign. This level of output highlights why he has become an undroppable asset for the record champions.

This is not the first time Olise has picked up silverware since arriving in Germany. The winger was previously named Rookie of the Season in his debut campaign, proving that he was able to adapt to the rigours of the Bundesliga almost instantly while maintaining his creative flair.

The selection process for the award is rigorous, involving fans, clubs, and experts to ensure the most deserving candidate is chosen. To select the Player of the Season, the Team of the Season is first chosen from a shortlist of 40 players. This is determined by a fan vote on Bundesliga platforms (weighting: 40 percent), a club vote (30 percent) and a vote by selected experts (30 percent).

Using the same system, the Player of the Season is then selected from the Team of the Season. Olise had already seen off competition throughout the year, winning the Player of the Month award in both November and January, eventually beating out team-mate Kane to the top annual prize.