France legend, Thierry Henry, has picked Michael Olise as the most important player for the country, snubbing Kylian Mbappe, following their victory over Sweden on Tuesday night.
The victory secured France a place in the World Cup round of 16.
Didier Deschamps’ team showcased another remarkable performance, with two goals from Mbappe and an additional goal from Bradley Barcola, ensuring their win in the round of 32 against Sweden at the MetLife Stadium on Tuesday.
France is set to face Paraguay in the World Cup round of 16 on Saturday.
Mbappe has now matched Lionel Messi with six goals in this summer’s World Cup, while Olise stands out with the highest number of assists in the tournament, totaling five in four matches.
Henry, a World Cup champion with France in 1998, asserted that Olise deserves recognition as France’s most vital player, emphasizing that the contributions of the Bayern Munich midfielder in defense should not be overlooked.
Henry said on Fox Sports, “His off-the-ball work is unparalleled.”
“People often focus solely on what a player does with the ball. Typically, when a player is as technical as he is, they may neglect their defensive responsibilities.
“However, he does not; he is aware of the game and approaches it thoughtfully. Michael is exceptional.
“His perception of the game is unlike that of others. When things do not unfold according to his expectations, he may occasionally drift out of the game because he perceives everything so clearly and swiftly that if others are not aligned with his vision, he can become frustrated.
“But what a player, I had the privilege to coach him. Sometimes he was doing stuff in training and you have to hold yourself from going, ‘wow’, because as a coach you just can’t do that, you talk to your assistant, ‘did you see what he just did?’. And then you say, ‘come back, come back, come back, let’s go guys.
“This guy is on another planet, he is just different.
“MVP will always be Kylian, because he will put numbers no one can do, but the most important player is Michael Olise.”
Henry also believes Deschamps has found the right ‘balance’ in his France side by playing Olise in a central role behind Mbappe.