‘If he doesn’t win the Ballon d'Or, something is very wrong with football’ – Willy Sagnol praises World Cup star

The 2026 World Cup has seen some of the biggest names in football light up the competition through the goals they have scored and performances they have produced to get fans off seats.

Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe lead the way in the competition for goals scored, while the likes of Luis Diaz for Colombia and Vinicius Junior for Brazil have excited fans with their performances.

While Willy Sagnol may not have been the most exciting player during his career, having operated as a right-back, he is perfectly placed to give his opinion, having come up against some of the best attackers the sport has ever seen.

The French international played alongside the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry while expertly shutting down the likes of Ronaldinho and Ronaldo in the 2006 World Cup.

France set two unique World Cup records as they progressed past Sweden in the round of 32 with a 3-0 win, and ahead of the game, Sagnol spoke to Bild, giving insight into Didier Deschamps’ side, and he singled out one player that he believes is the best in the world.

The 2006 World Cup finalist said: “There's no need to talk much about him; you should simply enjoy every action he takes on the pitch. [Michael] Olise is the best in the world, far ahead of all other players. If he doesn't win the Ballon d'Or at the end of the year, something is seriously wrong with football. And do you know what I particularly like about him?

Kylian Mbappe of France celebrates their first goal with Ousmane Dembele of France and Michael Olise of France during the FIFA World Cup 2026 (Getty Images)

“To put it bluntly, Olise couldn't care less whether he scores or provides an assist or not. You can see that he's not thinking about doing anything for himself but always looking out for what helps the team.

“My former national teammate Zinedine Zidane was the same way. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have dominated world football for the last 15 years, play a bit more for themselves and their statistics.”

France will now face Paraguay in the round of 16, a repeat of a tie in 1998 when France would go on to win the World Cup. In that clash Les Bleus won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Laurent Blanc in extra time.

Deschamps' side will be wary of the Paraguayans after their result against Germany, but as long as they progress to the next round, they will not care how they get there, whether it is by blowing the competition away like they did last round against Sweden or by grinding out a result like they did in 1998 against the same nation.