Desailly: Olise ‘a step below’ Lamine Yamal despite strong numbers

Michael Olise and Lamine Yamal rank among the world’s top right wingers, but Marcel Desailly says Olise remains “a step below” Barcelona’s teenage wonderkid despite posting remarkable numbers for Bayern Munich. Both players look set to feature at the 2026 World Cup: Olise with France, while Yamal should shake off an unfortunate injury in time to play a prominent role for Spain.

Creativity on the flanks will be important if either nation is to mount a serious challenge for global glory. Desailly said: “I think that in the intensity of a higher-grade match, Olise is still a step below Yamal. Yamal has a better understanding - a small advance on understanding the traps that will be set for him on the pitch.

You saw it in the match between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, where Olise was not able to handle the pressure of the opponent. He still has to learn. We can see that he needs to grow into the system. What is strange is that Yamal is a little bit younger.

michael olise, lamine yamal, marcel desailly, bayern munich, barcelona, france, spain, world cup, right winger, psg