FIFA World Cup 2026: France's Olise surpasses Pele's tally for most assists in single edition, breaks record that stood for 56 years
Miami, July 19
France winger Michael Olise has etched his name into FIFA World Cup history after registering his seventh assist of the 2026 tournament, surpassing Brazilian legend Pele's long-standing record for the most assists in a single edition of the competition.
The French forward and Bayern Munich star achieved the milestone during France's third-place match against England at Miami Stadium on Saturday (local time), setting up two goals for captain Kylian Mbappe to take his tournament tally to seven assists.
The previous record of six assists had been held by Pele since the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, a mark that stood for 56 years.
Olise began his World Cup campaign by assisting Mbappe in France's opening match against Senegal before delivering two assists each against Iraq and Sweden to move within one of the historic records.
His two assists in France's encounter against England, both converted by Mbappe, helped him surpass Pele's tally and establish a new benchmark for the most assists in a single FIFA World Cup.
Despite setting the tournament record, Olise remains behind Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the all-time World Cup assists chart. With seven assists in the 2026 edition, Olise now trails Messi's overall tournament record by five assists.
The Bayern Munich winger also enjoyed a stellar, record-breaking 2025-26 campaign at the club level.
Olise finished the Bundesliga season with 15 goals and 19 assists, playing a key role as Bayern Munich secured both the league title and the DFB-Pokal.
However, Olise's record-breaking feat ultimately came in a losing cause as France fell 6-4 to England in a breathtaking, record-breaking 10-goal thriller, with the Three Lions securing the bronze medal.
Notably, the defeat also spoiled French head coach Didier Deschamps' farewell, bringing the legendary coach's 14-year tenure as France manager to a disappointing end.
In what will go down as the highest-scoring third-place play-off in modern tournament history, England's Bukayo Saka's magnificent hat-trick overcame Kylian Mbappe's brace and powered the Three Lions to their best World Cup finish on foreign soil since 1966.
England took absolute control of the first half, leaving Les Bleus shell-shocked with an unprecedented 4-0 lead before the interval.
Declan Rice opened the scoring just three minutes into the game, before defender Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage in the 18th minute. Bukayo Saka then took centre stage, netting twice in quick succession (37', 45+1') to mark the first time France has ever conceded four goals in a single half of World Cup football.
However, the second half saw a dramatic shift in momentum. Facing his 187th and final match in charge of France, Deschamps rang in tactical substitutions at halftime that sparked a furious French resurrection.
Mbappe led the charge, striking in the 48th minute before Bradley Barcola added a second just six minutes later to make it 4-2.
When Mbappe struck again in the 66th minute to bring France within one goal, England looked completely rattled under relentless waves of attack.
With his second goal, Mbappe created history by overtaking Lionel Messi to become the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history. The brace took Mbappe's World Cup tally to 22 goals, moving him one clear of Messi's 21.
Just as the game seemed to be slipping away from Thomas Tuchel's men, England found their relief.
A late counter-attack resulted in an 87th-minute penalty, which Saka calmly converted to complete his hat-trick and restore breathing room at 5-3.
The drama spilt deep into stoppage time as Ousmane Dembele clawed one back for France in the 90+6th minute, but Jude Bellingham put the final exclamation point on the historic night, scoring in the 90+8th minute to seal the extraordinary 6-4 victory for England to cap their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign on a third-place high.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This actually shows the changing face of football. While we all admire Pele's legacy, records are meant to be broken. But what caught my eye is how Mbappe is rewriting history - 22 World Cup goals at just 27! We're witnessing a legend in the making. India needs to learn from these European academies. 🏆
Crazy to think Pele's assist record stood for 56 years. Olise had an incredible tournament but let's be real - Pele did it in an era where football was far more defensive and physical. Still, credit where it's due. That France team was special to watch, even if they fell short in the end.
Another reminder that while everyone talks about the goalscorers, it's the creators like Olise who make the magic happen. His vision and passing are a joy to watch. Also, Saka with a hattrick in a World Cup match - the future is bright for English football. India needs to take notes on how they develop young talent! 🌟
Deschamps' farewell spoiled by a 6-4 defeat? That's rough. He did so much for French football winning the 2018 World Cup. But honestly, that first-half performance from England was breathtaking - 4-0 up by halftime against France in a World Cup match? That's the real story here!
While I appreciate the records and excitement, let's not forget this is football becoming too predictable. Same European powers dominating. Would love to see an Asian or African team in these positions someday. But yes, as pure entertainment
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