Kylian Mbappe has been told he lacks the technical brilliance of Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele as questions arise over his suitability as France’s primary leader. Despite his prolific goalscoring record for Les Bleus, former international Jerome Rothen believes the Real Madrid star should no longer be considered the technical focal point of Didier Deschamps' side.

With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly presumably disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players now beginning each campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued by injuries and inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he is among a crowded field of contenders one year on.

Michael Olise has been posting “crazy” numbers at Bayern Munich, leading to him reportedly having a £170 million ($229m) price tag placed around his neck, and Louis Saha has told GOAL why a return to the Premier League may not be the France international’s next move. Few teams on the planet could afford to put a transfer package in place for Olise, but that does not mean that the former Crystal Palace star is destined to head back to England.

Christophe Dugarry, a member of France's 1998 World Cup-winning squad, sees Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise's style as a reminder of Zinedine Zidane.