France have a genuine superstar waiting to emerge on the biggest stage this summer, and former international Gael Clichy believes Michael Olise is ready to seize his moment.
Clichy draws comparisons between Olise and Kylian Mbappe, who truly announced himself to the world at the 2018 World Cup in Russia before France lifted the trophy.
Olise arrives at this tournament having played just 16 games for France, making him still a relative newcomer on the international scene despite his obvious club-level pedigree.
His profile grew significantly before the 2024 Olympics in Paris, having only recently made the move from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich, but many supporters are still discovering quite how good he is.
Clichy worked directly with Olise at those Olympics, serving as assistant coach alongside Thierry Henry with the French under-23 side, and France went on to reach the final and narrowly missed out on gold.
“If he can take the season he has just had for Bayern, and bring his magic to the World Cup, then he will be seen as one of the very best that we have in France,” Clichy said.
Rayan Cherki is another France talent Clichy is excited about, describing him as someone with “so much creative quality with both feet that he never looks uncomfortable on the ball.”
Cherki was also part of the under-23 squad at the 2024 Olympics, and Clichy believes his season under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City has been transformative for his development as a complete footballer.
Clichy himself joined City in 2016 at the age of 32 and knows first-hand the impact Guardiola can have, noting that “working with Pep can either make you or break you.”
He also draws a comparison between Cherki and Samir Nasri, suggesting Cherki is “a level above” Nasri but needs to follow a similar path of harnessing his natural talent with greater defensive discipline.
Jean-Philippe Mateta is another player Clichy championed, admitting he was surprised the Crystal Palace striker did not secure a bigger move following the 2024 Olympics given the impression he made.
Since Mateta joined Palace in 2022, the club have won the FA Cup and the Europa Conference League, and Clichy argues the striker’s contribution goes far beyond simply scoring goals.
“He was the reason we got to the final of the Olympics and got the silver medal,” Clichy said, highlighting both Mateta’s goals and his leadership qualities within the squad.
Clichy believes Mateta’s personality will be just as important as his goals if France are to win the World Cup, praising the striker as “a proper leader” and a great dressing room presence.
