Michael Olise Is Making the Ballon d'Or Conversation Very Interesting

I think we need to start talking about Michael Olise differently.

Not as Bayern's talented winger. Not as the guy who can produce a ridiculous left-footed cross when he gets a bit of space. Not even as France's exciting young attacker.

I'm starting to wonder if we're watching a genuine Ballon d'Or contender.

And before anyone says I'm getting carried away, hear me out.

Olise's performance against Belgium was ridiculous.

France were struggling to break Belgium down. Belgium were leading 1–0, France had plenty of possession but couldn't find the final pass, and the game was beginning to look like one of those nights where possession means absolutely nothing.

Then Olise came on.

Thirty minutes later, France had won 4–1.

Olise assisted Rayan Cherki, then scored twice himself both goals coming within roughly three minutes of each other. He had completely changed the game.

That is what separates a good player from a player who starts deciding matches.

And the crazy thing is that this wasn't even an isolated performance.

During this international break, Olise has scored four goals and provided two assists in four Nations League appearances for France. He has scored in consecutive international games, and he is currently France's leading scorer in the competition.

That's serious output.

But here's where the Ballon d'Or conversation gets interesting.

Olise isn't building this case from international football alone.

Last season with Bayern, he won the Bundesliga Player of the Season award, helped Bayern win the domestic double and finished the Bundesliga campaign with 34 direct goal involvements. He also finished as the league's leading assist provider.

So we're not talking about a player who suddenly had a good week for France.

There is a pattern here.

Olise is becoming a match-winner.

And I think that's what makes his case different.

You can see it when he receives the ball on the right. There is always that little pause before he decides what to do. Defender backs off? He drives inside. Defender closes him down? He finds the pass. Give him space? He can punish you.

And somehow, he makes it look ridiculously calm.

The most impressive thing to me isn't even the goals.

It's the decision-making.

Against Belgium, France didn't need another player to simply run around and create chaos. They needed someone who could actually change the rhythm of the game.

Olise did that.

This is also where France could become extremely dangerous.

Imagine a France attack with Olise producing this kind of form alongside Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Rayan Cherki, Désiré Doué and the rest of that ridiculous attacking pool.

That's not just depth anymore.

That's a nightmare for defenders.

And Zidane has already seen what Olise can give him.

France have now started this Nations League campaign unbeaten, and Olise has emerged as one of the biggest individual stories of Zidane's early reign. Reuters has him on four goals and two assists across the first four matches.

But I still wouldn't give him the Ballon d'Or yet.

That's where we need to be careful.

The award is not won because you had one spectacular international break. Olise still has to maintain this level at Bayern, produce in the biggest Champions League games, and keep influencing matches when the pressure gets much higher.

And there is another problem.

Lamine Yamal exists.

The Ballon d'Or conversation is already packed with elite names, and Yamal is producing ridiculous numbers himself. Olise isn't going to walk into this conversation uncontested.

But that's actually what makes this fun.

Because a few months ago, would many people have put Olise in the same conversation?

Probably not.

Now?

We're having the discussion.

And that's enough to tell you how quickly his status has changed.

For me, the biggest question isn't whether Olise can win the Ballon d'Or.

It's whether he can keep playing like this when the biggest nights arrive.

Because if he does...

We might have to stop calling Michael Olise a future superstar.

He might already be one.

What do you think, Is Olise genuinely capable of carrying the Ballon d'Or one day or are we getting carried away because of this incredible run of form?