The outstanding individual performance of the World Cup so far has, without a doubt, come from Lionel Messi. There is no eclipsing a display that features a hat-trick that takes its owner to the top of the all-time World Cup scoring charts.
One more goal and Messi will stand alone ahead of Miroslav Klose. And it was impossible not to be impressed by the clinical finishing of two striking titans, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
But in terms of subtly impacting a contest, Michael Olise produced one of the most accomplished halves of football to inspire the French comeback against Senegal. It was a contribution that was nicely described by Didier Deschamps.
“We were much better with Michael positioned in the heart of midfield,” said the France coach. “It brought much more cohesion. When Michael can play in between lines, between the defence and midfield, his passing quality allows us to find our attackers. Michael can play on both sides but the more he gets on the ball, the better.”
