Michael Olise delivered a commanding midfield performance to earn Player of the Match honors as France defeated Senegal 3-1 in its opening Group I match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, orchestrating Les Bleus’ attack despite not getting on the scoresheet.
The Bayern Munich playmaker started at New York New Jersey Stadium and proved instrumental in France’s victory, creating the opening goal for captain Kylian Mbappe before playing a key role in the attacking sequence that led to Mbappe’s second strike deep into stoppage time.
France eventually secured all three points through Mbappe’s brace in the 66th and 90th-minute stoppage time, while substitute Bradley Barcola added the second goal in the 82nd minute. Senegal briefly threatened a late comeback when Ibrahim Mbaye scored in the fifth minute of added time, but Mbappe responded less than a minute later to restore France’s two-goal advantage.
Although Mbappe made history by becoming France’s all-time leading scorer with 58 international goals, Olise’s influence throughout the match earned him the official Player of the Match award after a display that combined creativity, technical quality and composure in possession.
The 24-year-old midfielder registered one official assist by setting up Mbappe’s opening goal with a perfectly weighted pass after helping France gradually seize control during the second half. His movement and passing repeatedly stretched Senegal’s defense and created space for France’s attacking stars.
According to match statistics from Flashscore, Olise received a match rating of 9.0 after producing one of the tournament’s most complete midfield performances. He attempted two shots, both of which were on target, while completing 25 of his 27 passes in the attacking third for an impressive 93% success rate.
Olise also completed two of his three dribble attempts, recorded 77 touches and produced seven progressive carries, underlining his importance as France’s primary creative outlet throughout the contest.
His performance added another dimension to a France squad already packed with attacking talent, including Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Adrien Rabiot and substitute Bradley Barcola. The depth available to coach Didier Deschamps was evident as Barcola came off the bench to score just minutes after entering the match.
The victory lifted France to the top of the Group I standings with three points after the opening round of fixtures, while Senegal was left at the bottom of the table despite producing an energetic display that challenged the 2022 World Cup runners-up for long stretches of the match.
France will next face Iraq as it seeks to secure qualification for the knockout stage, while Senegal will attempt to revive its campaign against Norway in its second group match.
