“If he doesn’t win the Ballon d’Or, then football must be missing something,” says Willy Sagnol, praising the World Cup star.
The 2026 World Cup has brought some of the biggest football stars to the spotlight with their goals and great performances that have thrilled fans everywhere. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe are leading the race for most goals, while players like Luis Diaz from Colombia and Vinicius Junior from Brazil have impressed everyone with their skills.
Willy Sagnol, who wasn’t the flashiest player during his time as a right-back, is in a great position to share his thoughts since he faced some of the best attackers in football history. The French star played alongside legends like Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry and expertly defended against big names like Ronaldinho and Ronaldo in the 2006 World Cup.
France made history by beating Sweden 3-0 in the round of 32, setting two unique World Cup records. Before that game, Sagnol spoke to Bild and gave his take on Didier Deschamps’ team, especially praising one player he thinks is the best in the world. The 2006 World Cup finalist said, “There’s no need to say much about him; just enjoy every moment he’s on the field. Michael Olise is far ahead of everyone else. If he doesn’t win the Ballon d’Or this year, something’s really wrong with football. What I love about him is that he doesn’t care about scoring or assists for himself. He’s always focused on helping the team.”
Sagnol added, “My old teammate Zidane was like that too. Messi and Ronaldo, who have ruled football for the last 15 years, tend to play a bit more for themselves and their stats.”
Now, France will face Paraguay in the round of 16, a repeat of their 1998 matchup when France went on to win the World Cup. Back then, Les Bleus won 1-0 with a goal from Laurent Blanc in extra time. Deschamps’ team knows Paraguay is tough, especially after their result against Germany, but no matter how they win—whether by dominating like against Sweden or fighting hard like in 1998—they just want to keep moving forward.