Debate Erupts in French Team Over Michael Olise's Behavior at Training. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the French national team is abuzz with discussions about Michael Olise’s conduct during training. A video featuring Mbappé and Thuram has gone viral. France is preparing for the start of the tournament in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, an unexpected dispute erupted within the French national team regarding Michael Olise's behavior during training. The spotlight fell on an incident filmed at the Clairefontaine base: the Bayern Munich forward became the target of jokes from Marcus Thuram (Inter) and Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid). The video, published on the official Les Bleus account, quickly went viral and sparked debate among fans and experts.
The footage shows Thuram, with his face covered by a towel or an ice pack, mimicking Olise's habit of entering the pitch with his cap or scarf pulled down, hiding almost his entire face. Mbappe, noticing the parody, can't hold back his laughter, while Olise responds with restraint—a tired smile and his signature shrug. This manner has already been noted at Bayern: Olise prefers brief inspections of the field before matches and doesn't linger in public.
Whether Olise, Mbappe, and their teammates can lead France to a third title remains an open question. The team is now preparing for the tournament in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, where France is considered one of the favorites. In attack, alongside Olise and Mbappe, standouts include Ousmane Dembele (PSG), Marcus Thuram, Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola (PSG), and Rayan Cherki (Manchester City). Before departing for North America, the squad will play two home friendlies: on June 4 against Côte d'Ivoire in Nantes, and on June 8 with Northern Ireland in Lille.
Olise made his debut for the national team on September 6, 2024, in a Nations League match against Italy (1:3). Since then, he has played 15 games and scored 4 goals, the first of which came in a match against Croatia on March 23, 2025. In the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, France will face Senegal (June 16), Iraq (June 22), and Norway (June 26), with particular attention on the duel against Erling Haaland.
Interest in the French national team and its leaders is traditionally high in Spain as well, where many follow Mbappé's performances at Real Madrid and Olise's at Bayern. Close attention to the preparation of top teams for the world championship is no coincidence: such episodes, as noted in the article on Kosner Baskonia's victory over Real Madrid, often become a reason to discuss not only sporting results but also the atmosphere within the teams.
For reference: France has won the World Cup twice — in 1998 and 2018. The national team's training center is located in Clairefontaine, which is considered one of the best football facilities in Europe. In recent years, the French federation has actively invested in the development of young players, allowing the team to maintain its status as a favorite in major tournaments.
