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"That we did not manage to bring the trophy home is a huge disappointment. It was not how we had imagined the end of this World Cup at the start of the tournament," wrote Olise. France had swept through the World Cup in impressive fashion at first, but eventual world champions Spain beat them in the semi-finals.
Despite that setback, Olise is "proud to have set the record for the most assists in the history of a World Cup". The exceptional 24-year-old produced seven assists in total, beating Pele's previous best from the 1970 World Cup of six.
He also thanked departing national team coach Didier Deschamps: "For making my first call-up to the national team possible and for believing in me even in the most difficult moments. I will always be grateful to you for that, and I wish you all the best for the future, whatever path you may take." As things stand, Deschamps' future remains unresolved, with French football icon Zinedine Zidane taking over as national team coach.
Michael Olise stays silent on Bayern Munich
As for Bayern Munich, Olise did not mention the club in his statement, nor the persistent rumours linking him with a move to Real Madrid. In recent days, the Munich club's bosses have all stressed that a sale of Olise this summer is out of the question. His contract runs until 2029 and is due to be extended.
For now, Olise is still on his extended World Cup break. Like fellow semi-finalists Dayot Upamecano and Harry Kane, he will not return to team training until after the Asia tour.