“I didn’t have to convince anyone”: Top nation wanted Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise for their national team

France legend Thierry Henry says England pushed hard to recruit Bayern Munich's Michael Olise before he made his debut for the Equipe Tricolore.

In the summer of 2024, Henry was preparing France's under-23 national team for the Olympic Games in Paris. Olise was in his squad, but England wanted him for the European Championship, held shortly beforehand in Germany. "Michael called me every day to talk about taking part in the Olympics, even though the England national team wanted him for the European Championship. But I didn't have to convince anyone," Henry said on the Kampo podcast.

Eligible for four national teams because of his background, Olise could have represented France, England, Algeria or Nigeria. At youth level, though, he played exclusively for France's teams. Henry said a switch to the Three Lions was never an option for him: "Michael Olise has been a big fan of the French national team since childhood," said the former global star.

Patrick Vieira, another former French star, also spoke to Olise about his choice: "He explained to me that he sees a greater chance of becoming world champion with France than with England," Vieira told the sports newspaper L'Equipe. Neither country achieved that ambition at the World Cup this summer: France with Olise and England were both knocked out in the semi-finals.

Under coach Didier Deschamps, Olise made his debut for France's senior national team in September 2024. He established himself through competitive appearances in the Nations League that autumn, quickly ruling out a switch of national allegiance. He now has 29 international appearances (11 goals) and is a regular in the team of new national coach Zinedine Zidane.