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Michael Olise has become the standout star of the , where he tops the table with five assists and is shaping up to be one of the most influential players of the tournament.
The Frenchman has acted as the main playmaker for his national team, being the most productive partner of Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé in the French attack. His five assists not only place him at the top of the rankings, but also represent the highest number of assists in a single World Cup since the German Thomas Häßler achieved the same mark in 1994, and tie him with Antoine Griezmann as the French player with the most assists in the history of the competition.
In second place is Martin Ødegaard with four assists. The captain of Norway was the brain behind the historic Scandinavian campaign, which reached the quarter-finals before falling 2-1 to England at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on July 11. After the elimination, Ødegaard himself acknowledged the value of what was achieved: "We were close. It has been a fantastic adventure. We are proud of what we did."
The third tier is occupied by a strong group of players, each with three assists: Mbappé, the English players Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon, the Mexican Roberto Alvarado, the German Florian Wirtz, and the Norwegian Andreas Schjelderup.
Olise's figures reflect the collective strength of France, which reaches the semifinals as the most complete team in the tournament. The French not only have two of the top scorers of the championship but also the player who has created the most opportunities for his teammates.
This statistic also has a direct impact on the race for the Golden Boot, where Mbappé leads Messi despite both having scored eight goals. The assists criterion breaks the tie in favor of the French player, who has three assists compared to the two of the Argentine captain.
2026 World Cup Attendance Ranking
- Michael Olise (France): 5 assists
- Martin Ødegaard (Norway): 4 assists
- Kylian Mbappé (France): 3 assists
- Bukayo Saka (England): 3 assists
- Anthony Gordon (England): 3 assists
- Roberto Alvarado (Mexico): 3 assists
- Florian Wirtz (Germany): 3 assists
- Andreas Schjelderup (Norway): 3 assists
France eliminated Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-finals and now awaits the semi-final clash against Spain, scheduled for this Tuesday, July 14, at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, at 3:00 PM Cuba time.
With that match ahead, Olise will have the opportunity to increase his lead in the rankings and finish the tournament as the most prolific assister in recent World Cup history.
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