Michael Olise needed one extraordinary moment to decide France’s Nations League meeting with Belgium. Introduced from the bench in Brussels, the Bayern Munich attacker produced a brilliant 88th-minute solo winner to secure a 1–0 victory and preserve Zinedine Zidane’s perfect start as France coach. But the bigger question is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid: when everyone is available, how does Zidane leave Olise out?
By Abiodun Adewale Adeniyi | Founder & Editor, Beyond the Final Whistle
September 29, 2026
France have attacking depth that most national-team coaches would envy.
Kylian Mbappé. Ousmane Dembélé. Désiré Doué. Rayan Cherki. Bradley Barcola. Michael Olise.
For Zinedine Zidane, however, possessing so many elite attacking options creates its own challenge.
France’s 1–0 victory over Belgium in Brussels provided another reminder.
With captain Mbappé unavailable and Zidane making nine changes from the side that defeated Türkiye 1–0, France entered the match with a heavily rotated starting XI.
They still found a way to win.
And when the decisive moment arrived, it came from Olise.
Reuters reported that the Bayern Munich attacker came from the bench and produced a surging run from inside the Belgian half before scoring the goal that preserved Zidane’s perfect start.
Olise Delivers When France Need Something Different
France did not cruise through Belgium.
Désiré Doué caused problems for the Belgian defence and twice struck the woodwork, but the match remained goalless as the second half moved towards its conclusion.
Zidane eventually turned towards his bench.
Olise, Dembélé and Cherki entered as France searched for the breakthrough.
Then came the 88th minute.
Belgium 0–1 France
Michael Olise — 88'
https://www.scorebat.com/embed/v/6abc0e33dd755/
He kept going.
As Belgium's defenders retreated towards their penalty area, Olise created the shooting angle he wanted before producing the finish that finally broke the deadlock.
It was a goal created largely through individual quality: acceleration, close control, directness and composure.
The Guardian's match coverage described it as a magnificent late strike and showed Olise celebrating the winner alongside Ousmane Dembélé.
Michael Olise — France's match-winner
Olise had entered a match France were struggling to finish and changed its outcome.
That is important.
International football frequently produces matches in which tactical structures cancel each other out and one individual action becomes decisive.
Against Belgium, Olise supplied it.
This Is No Longer About One Brilliant Goal
It would be easy to treat the Brussels winner as one spectacular moment.
Olise's broader development suggests something much more significant.
The 24-year-old has developed rapidly since leaving Crystal Palace for Bayern Munich in 2024.
Bayern describe Olise as predominantly a right-sided attacker who can also operate centrally behind the striker. His dribbling and creative ability quickly made him an important part of their attack.
He was voted Bayern's Player of the Season in each of his first two campaigns and was also named Bundesliga Player of the Season for 2025/26.
His influence carried into international football.
Olise registered seven assists during France's run to the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup, equalling the record for assists in a single tournament, according to Bayern's official player profile.
So Brussels was not the beginning of the story.
It was another piece of evidence.
Why Olise Is Becoming So Difficult to Defend
Predictability makes defending easier.
Olise offers the opposite.
Being predominantly left-footed while operating from the right immediately gives him several possibilities.
He can remain wide and create.
He can combine with an overlapping teammate.
He can move into the half-space.
Or he can cut inside and attack the goal himself.
His winner against Belgium demonstrated another weapon: carrying the ball through open space.
The move did not begin around the penalty area.
Olise created the danger himself by advancing with the ball before finishing.
That versatility matters enormously at international level.
Some opponents will press France aggressively.
Others will defend deep.
Zidane therefore needs attackers capable of solving different problems.
Olise increasingly looks like one of them.
Zidane's Reaction Told Its Own Story
The goal also produced one of the night's defining reactions.
Zidane knew exactly how important the breakthrough was.
France had rotated heavily. Mbappé was missing. Belgium had threatened. The game was approaching its final minutes.
Then Olise changed everything.
Zinedine Zidane — building a new France
For Zidane, the victory maintained a perfect beginning to his France tenure.
But there is a bigger story developing around his attack.
Before Zidane's first competitive match, Beyond the Final Whistle examined how Mbappé's absence from training presented the new France coach with his first major selection decision.
At that point, much of the discussion concerned how Zidane would structure France around his captain.
Now another question is emerging.
What happens when Zidane has Mbappé and an increasingly influential Olise available together?
The Selection Problem When Mbappé Returns
Mbappé remains France's captain and central attacking figure.
Olise does not need to replace him.
The more interesting question is what Zidane builds around the two of them.
Olise's natural position on the right provides an obvious route towards playing both.
But France's extraordinary attacking depth makes the remaining positions much more difficult to distribute.
Dembélé can operate across the attack.
Doué provides another explosive one-v-one threat.
Cherki offers creativity between the lines.
Barcola provides pace and direct running.
And France have other attacking options capable of demanding minutes.
Belgium demonstrated the luxury available to Zidane.
He could make nine changes to his starting team and then introduce players such as Olise, Dembélé and Cherki when France needed to alter the match.
That is extraordinary depth.
It is also a serious selection problem.
France's Depth Could Become Zidane's Greatest Weapon
The early evidence suggests Zidane wants to use the entire squad rather than create a team dependent on a handful of stars.
That could become particularly important during international windows containing several matches in a short period.
Rotation allows France to protect players physically.
Competition can also raise performance levels.
And when a match becomes difficult, Zidane can potentially turn towards a bench containing players who would start for almost any other national team.
Belgium provided the perfect example.
The starting XI kept France in the contest.
The substitutes changed it.
Olise finished it.
From Premier League Talent to Bayern Star
Olise's journey also makes his rise particularly interesting.
Born in London, he spent time in the academies of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City before developing professionally with Reading.
Crystal Palace signed him in 2021, and his performances at Selhurst Park established him as one of the Premier League's most exciting young creative players.
Bayern Munich signed him in July 2024. The club's official profile says Olise quickly became a linchpin of the team through his dribbling and creative qualities.
That move accelerated his development.
The responsibility increased.
The attacking production increased.
And his international importance has followed.
Current Bundesliga statistics underline that the development has continued into 2026/27: Olise has four goals and one assist from his opening four league appearances.
Olise Is Moving From Option to Essential Player
There is an important distinction to make.
One brilliant winner does not automatically make any footballer undroppable.
France's attacking competition is too strong for that conclusion.
But Olise's argument now extends far beyond one Nations League match.
His Bayern performances have established his club credentials.
His World Cup performances demonstrated his ability at international level.
And now he is showing that he can decide difficult matches for France.
That accumulation of evidence matters.
The question is no longer whether Michael Olise belongs in this France squad.
The increasingly difficult question for Zidane is whether France are better when Olise starts.
What Comes Next for Zidane and Olise?
France's schedule will continue to test Zidane's willingness to rotate and the hierarchy within his attack.
Every strong Olise performance makes those decisions more interesting.
And that may ultimately be good news for France.
The best international teams do not simply have a strong starting XI.
They have competition.
They have tactical alternatives.
And they have players capable of changing matches when the original plan is not working.
Olise has increasingly demonstrated all three qualities.
Brussels simply provided the latest—and perhaps most dramatic—example.
Beyond the Final Whistle, Michael Olise's stunning winner against Belgium was not simply another highlight for an increasingly influential attacker. His development at Bayern Munich, creative impact for France and growing ability to decide difficult matches are turning him from an exciting option into a potentially central figure in Zinedine Zidane's new era. France's extraordinary attacking depth remains one of their greatest strengths — but Olise is giving his coach fewer reasons to leave him out.
When Mbappé returns and France have their full attacking group available, should Michael Olise be one of the first names in Zidane's starting XI? Join the conversation on Beyond the Final Whistle.
