Sports · 9 July 2026
France star Michael Olise chose France over England for international football
Bryan Berlin via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)
Michael Olise, born and raised in England, now represents France because they contacted him first for their under-18s team. England was focused on players from bigger academies and did not approach him as a teenager, despite his British-Nigerian and French-Algerian roots. France was aware of his connections and Olise felt happy staying with them, even when England later showed interest.
Reported by The Irish Times · How we write briefs