Michael Olise etched his name into the record books during France's third-place playoff against England by becoming the player with the most assists in a single FIFA World Cup edition surpassing Pele. Although France suffered a 6-4 defeat, Olise enjoyed a historic outing, providing two assists to Kylian Mbappe as Les Bleus attempted to fight back after falling well behind. Mbappe's brace also saw him become the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history, giving France two major individual milestones despite missing out on the bronze medal.
Olise's partnership with Mbappe proved to be one of the standout combinations of the tournament. The Bayern Munich winger set up five of Mbappe's 10 goals during France's World Cup campaign, repeatedly creating chances with his vision and delivery in the final third.
The two assists against England took Olise's tally to seven for the tournament, the highest by any player in a single World Cup edition. In doing so, he surpassed Pele's long-standing record of six assists in one tournament, adding another remarkable achievement to an outstanding campaign. While France's tournament ended in disappointment, Olise's creativity and consistency ensured his name would be remembered in World Cup history.
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England completely dominated the first half, racing to a commanding 4-0 lead by the interval. France returned after the break with far greater purpose, with Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise leading the charge as they searched for a way back into the contest. The duo caused England several problems, but second-choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson produced a string of important saves to keep France at bay. Mbappe still managed to score twice, both goals coming from Olise's assists, to spark hopes of a comeback. Olise, however, was unable to get on the scoresheet himself despite creating several openings and going close with a couple of promising chances during an improved second-half display.
France fought back but it wasn't enough
{{/usCountry}}England completely dominated the first half, racing to a commanding 4-0 lead by the interval. France returned after the break with far greater purpose, with Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise leading the charge as they searched for a way back into the contest. The duo caused England several problems, but second-choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson produced a string of important saves to keep France at bay. Mbappe still managed to score twice, both goals coming from Olise's assists, to spark hopes of a comeback. Olise, however, was unable to get on the scoresheet himself despite creating several openings and going close with a couple of promising chances during an improved second-half display.
France fought back but it wasn't enough
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, France made several changes to the side that lost to Spain in the semi-finals, but the reshuffled defence struggled badly. Declan Rice opened the scoring with a superb long-range strike before Ezri Konsa doubled England's lead with a well-timed header. Saka then added two more goals to send England into the break with a commanding 4-0 advantage. He completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the second half, but Ousmane Dembele's goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time briefly raised French hopes of an unlikely comeback. England, however, had the final say as Jude Bellingham struck in the closing moments to put the result beyond doubt and seal a memorable victory.