Michael Olise Shines with Hat-Trick and Neymar's Tribute
Michael Olise walked out of the Allianz Arena with his arms full and his reputation somehow even bigger.
The match ball was his by right after a ruthless hat-trick in a 7-0 demolition of Union. The player of the match award followed, as inevitable as the goals he keeps scoring. Three goals, two assists. A five-goal handprint on a game that turned into a personal exhibition.
Then came the surprise.
Waiting for the 25-year-old in the mixed zone was a third memento: a Neymar shirt, personally dedicated. The Brazilian had sent it via journalist Isabela Pagliari, asking her to deliver it during her visit to Munich. One of the game’s great entertainers, now playing out his final chapter back at Santos, reaching out to a player who grew up idolising him.
Olise has never hidden it. Neymar, along with Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane, sits on his personal Mount Rushmore. On nights like this, you can see why those names are starting to feel less like idols and more like benchmarks he is determined to chase.
A season catching fire
Right now, Olise is on a tear. This was only his seventh competitive match of the season, yet it was already the fourth time he has been named best player on the pitch. The numbers back up the eye test: 11 goal involvements so far, averaging one every 51 minutes. That is not just good form. That is elite output.
Harry Kane, who knows a thing or two about carrying an attack, sounded almost delighted to share the stage.
"I really enjoy playing with Michael, and I also like him a lot as a person," Kane said. "Not everyone gets to see his true personality, but he is a great character. He is completely different from how he appears to outsiders."
Those outsiders mostly see the quiet, reserved winger who rarely steps into the spotlight off the pitch. Olise is famously media-shy. Even after a five-star performance and a standing ovation, he declined an interview with Sky.
No drama. Jamal Musiala simply stepped forward, grinning. "That’s what I’m here for," he said, happy to play the spokesman while Olise lets his football do the talking.
From shy star to Ballon d’Or talk
Inside the club, though, nobody is playing down what they are witnessing.
Board member for sport Max Eberl went straight to the top shelf with his praise, openly pushing Olise into the World Player of the Year conversation.
"For me, Michael Olise is also one of the candidates for the Ballon d’Or. He is one of the best players in the world," Eberl said.
It is a bold statement in a year when Kane, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe and Rodri are already being lined up as favourites. But on nights like this, with the Allianz roaring and defenders spinning, it does not sound outlandish. It sounds like a warning.
Olise left the stadium with a match ball, a trophy, and a shirt from one of his heroes. The question now is simple: how long before players of the next generation start queuing up for his?
