Michael Olise stole the spotlight during France's 4-1 win over Belgium in the UEFA Nations League. Introduced in the 60th minute, he turned the match upside down with two goals and an assist, dragging "Les Bleus" to a thrilling victory after they had fallen a goal behind.
The Bayern Munich winger's display sent the Stade de France into raptures, with fans chanting: "Olise.. the Ballon d'Or!" The scene echoed those that followed Ousmane Dembélé before he claimed the award in 2025.
Praise poured in from the international press. Spanish newspaper "Marca" called him "the star", while Italian daily "La Gazzetta dello Sport" went as far as to compare him with the legendary Zinedine Zidane.
Zidane himself joined the chorus. "What he does is quite simply exceptional," he said of the Bayern Munich man. Teammate Andy Diouf hailed his talent too, insisting he is a top-class player capable of changing the course of a game.
Olise looked distinctly uncomfortable when the chants came up at full time. "I have nothing to say," was all he offered before heading for the dressing room, refusing to be drawn any further.
For all the attention on him, the 24-year-old wanted to stress the collective effort. France had struggled against a compact Belgian defence, he said, but kept piling on the pressure until the result turned. He praised Zidane's ideas and the level the national team hit across all four matches.
Olise now finds himself among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, in the company of names like Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé. The ceremony takes place in London on 26 October.