'If he doesn't win the Ballon d'Or, something is seriously wrong!' - Michael Olise 'far ahead' as world's best player, claims ex-France & Bayern Munich star

Sagnol’s Ballon d'Or verdict

As the 2026 World Cup heats up, Olise has emerged as the standout performer for Les Bleus, and Sagnol is convinced that individual accolades must follow. Speaking on the Bayern Munich star's current form, Sagnol claimed in an interview with

The Georgia national team coach, who won numerous titles at the Allianz Arena, noted that French fans of all ages are now united behind the winger. Sagnol even suggested that he and other former professionals can identify with Olise’s style more than any other modern star, marking him as the clear number one in the current global hierarchy.

Better than Messi and Ronaldo?

In a controversial comparison, Sagnol suggested that Olise represents a more "pure" team player than the legends who have dominated the last two decades. "Olise is simply a pure team player, not an individualist. For our children, there is finally a great role model... To put it bluntly, Olise couldn't care less whether he scores, provides an assist, or not. You can see that he doesn't think about doing something for himself, but always looks at what helps the team," he explained. "Zinedine Zidane was exactly the same. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have dominated world football in the last 15 years, play a bit more for themselves and for their statistics. Nothing against Ronaldo and Messi, they are great. Olise is just a true team player."

The Mbappe and Madrid factor

The praise for Olise comes at a time when he is being heavily linked with a move to the Bernabeu. Reports have suggested that

"Mbappe is more focused on himself, on his career, on his goals. That's why there is often a bit of criticism of him,” Sagnol noted, though he backed the Real Madrid forward to finish as the World Cup's top scorer. For his part,

Dayot Upamecano’s ‘Lucio-like’ rise

Olise isn't the only Bayern Munich star catching Sagnol's eye during this tournament. Defender Dayot Upamecano has also received significant praise for his physical dominance and improved technical security. Sagnol compared the centre-back to one of his former legendary teammates at the Allianz Arena, illustrating just how highly the current crop of French talent is rated.

"From his type, he is like an old Bayern team-mate, Lucio. The Brazilian was also a machine on the pitch, incredibly strong physically," Sagnol said. "Upamecano makes fewer technical errors compared to a year ago and has recently taken some steps forward at Bayern and in the national team.” With Upamecano anchoring the defense and Olise pulling the strings in attack, Les Bleus look perfectly equipped to avenge their 2022 heartbreak and reclaim the global crown.