Henry: Olise is France's Most Important Player

French legend Thierry Henry has declared that Michael Olise is the most crucial player for the French national team, despite the Bayern Munich star not yet scoring a goal at the World Cup.

However, Olise already boasts five assists, making him the top assister at the tournament. In France's 3-0 victory over Sweden, he set up Bradley Barcola's goal and Kylian Mbappé's second. He is now just one assist shy of Pelé's record of six assists for Brazil in 1970.

"What he does off the ball is unparalleled. Typically, people focus on what a player does with the ball at their feet, and often, highly technical players neglect defensive duties. That's not the case with him; he possesses exceptional game intelligence. Michael is a phenomenon," Henry told Fox Sports.

"His vision for the game is unique, very different from others. If things aren't going his way, he can sometimes disengage from the match. He operates with such precision and speed that if you're not on the same wavelength, he can get frustrated," added the former Arsenal and Barcelona striker.

"What a player! I had the privilege of coaching him (editor's note: with the French Olympic team). Sometimes in training, he'd pull off some of his tricks, and I had to restrain myself from exclaiming 'wow,' because coaches don't do that. But I'd tell my assistants, 'Did you see that?!' He's from another planet. Kylian will always be the most effective due to his efficiency and otherworldly statistics, but Michael Olise is the most important," Thierry Henry concluded.