Coming off an incredible season with Bayern Munich, Michael Olise has picked up right where he left off on the international stage, as he represents France at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Part of a French squad that is full of world-class talent in every position, Olise’s magnificent performances have still made him stand out above the rest. He currently leads the World Cup assist charts, having already provided five assists in five games, two of which came in the Round of 32 against Sweden.
While his footballing ability provides no shortage of talking points, Olise’s style statements have also been earning him many fans this summer.
Just like his calm and low-key demeanour off the field, Olise has shown he enjoys more tasteful and minimalistic style. He has already turned heads by sporting different versions of his very own custom boots, which are all exclusive pairs designed by LA-based designer Matt DiGiacomo, popularly known online as “Matty Boy”.
This also carries over to the tattoos he sports. As the French national team posted a series of snaps from a recent training session, a “stickman baller” tattoo, which is usually covered by socks when Olise is on the field, was revealed on the inside of his left leg.
In typical Michael Olise fashion, the tattoo puts a message across without making too much noise. It depicts what the winger loves the most – playing football, and it does so without any fancy artwork or over-the-top design.
Incidentally, this is not the only tattoo the playmaker rocks. He also has a Japanese word, “Kaizen”, inked on the side of his right calf.
Olise has also revealed the inspiration behind this tattoo in the past. During his time with Crystal Palace, he heard a coach talking about the word. When he looked it up, he felt it was a philosophy he very much related with personally. Now, the tattoo serves as constant reminder for him to never stop working hard.
He also has several other tattoos, most visibly on his left arm. Some of those include an ace of spade, a game of tic tac toe and “peace” sign, but the winger has not yet revealed if any of those have any deeper meaning beyond what can be deduced on first glance.
As the summer wears on, discussion about Michael Olise’s style choices will continue amongst fans. The winger and his team, however, will be fully focused on the most important task at hand, winning the World Cup.
Boasting arguably the best team of any nation taking part this summer, Les Bleus are strong favourites to go all the way. Their most recent game saw them face off against a dogged Paraguay outfit, who were coming off the biggest result in their history, after eliminating four-time champions Germany on penalties in the Round of 32.
The game plan for the South Americans stayed the same, frustrate France with the hope of striking on the counter or taking the game to spot kicks again. However, the French quality ultimately proved too much for them, and Kylian Mbappe scored the decisive goal from 12 yards after a superb dribble from Desire Doue earned a penalty.
In the next round, Michael Olise and company face off against Morocco.
