Michael Olise Religion

Early life

Michael Olise was born on 12 December 2001 in Hammersmith, Greater London, England, to a British-Nigerian father, Vincent Olise, and a Franco-Algerian mother. He has a younger brother, Richard, who is also a footballer. Olise played football prolifically growing up, and at the age of six, he began playing for the youth team of Hayes & Yeading United before briefly joining Arsenal and then moving to Chelsea Academy. He remained with the team before leaving at the age of 14, when he moved to the youth team of Manchester City.

Salary

Michael Olise’s current contract with Bayern Munich, signed in July 2024, extends through the 2029-2030 season. Under this agreement, he earns a weekly wage of €259,000, amounting to an annual salary of €13.5 million. Over the course of his career, Olise’s club salaries have accumulated to approximately €29.8 million by the conclusion of the 2025/2026 season. ​

At the current exchange rate €1 is equivalent to approximately $1.16. Therefore, Olise’s weekly wage translates to about $301,000, and his annual salary is approximately $15,696,450. His total career earnings from club salaries are estimated to be around $34 million as of this writing.​

What religion is Michael Olise?

Michael Olise is a French professional footballer whose religion is not publicly confirmed. Although he was born to a British-Nigerian father and a Franco-Algerian mother, this mixed heritage has led to online speculation (some TikToks claim he is Muslim), but there is no verified evidence. Notwithstanding, Olise’s religious beliefs remain private, with the strongest available ties pointing toward a Christian family background.

Michael Olise plays for the Bundesliga club Bayern Munich as well as for the French national team. Previously, he played for the English Premier League club Crystal Palace and League One club Reading. A French citizen, Olise has also played for the France national football team at several major tournaments, earning over 15 caps.

Reading

In 2018, Olise was inducted into Reading’s Academy scholarship program. He made his debut for Reading on 12 March 2019. During the 2019-21 League One season, he made 67 league appearances and scored 7 goals. At the end of his 2021 season with Reading, Olise was nominated for the EFL Young Player of the Season award. On 29 April 2021, he was crowned EFL Young Player of the Season.

Crystal Palace

From Reading, Olise moved to the Premier League side Crystal Palace on a five-year contract. On 11 September 2021, Olise came in as a substitute for his Premier League debut home win against Tottenham Hotspur. One month later, Olise scored his first Premier League goal after coming in as a second-half substitute. In doing so, he became Palace’s youngest Premier League scorer since Clinton Morrison in 1998. On 9 April 2023, Olise broke a record as he became the youngest player to assist three goals from open play in a single Premier League match. Moreover, Olise was nominated for PFA Young Player of the Year after he returned from injury to score a brace in a 4–0 victory over Manchester United on 6 May. With Palace, he made a total of 82 league appearances and scored a total of fourteen goals.

Bayern Munich

On the final day of the transfer window in 2024, Olise signed a five-year contract with the Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, which is valid through 30 June 2029, for a reported transfer fee of €60m, including add-ons. He went on to make his first Bundesliga goal on 14 September, in a 6–1 victory over Holstein Kiel. Three days later, he scored a brace, his first goals at the Allianz Arena, on his UEFA Champions League debut. Olise was instrumental in Bayern Munich’s incredible run in the 2024-25 season, culminating with 12 goals and 15 assists, ending as the league’s top assist provider. Olise had his breakout season in 2025–26, when he netted a stoppage-time winner in a 4–3 triumph over Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg, sending his team through to the semifinals. Moreover, Olise became only the second player since detailed records began in 2004–05 to record at least 15 goals and 15 assists in a single Bundesliga season, after Jadon Sancho in 2019–20.

International career

Olise represented France at the youth level from the age of 17, receiving his first call-up to the France under-18 side for the 2019 Toulon Tournament, where he made his debut against Qatar U23. Olise was eligible to represent four nations such as England, France, Nigeria, and Algeria, and in March 2021, he was named on the standby list for Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, though he did not join up with the squad. On 8 July 2024, he was included in France’s final squad for the Paris Olympics, scoring in their opening 3–0 victory over the United States and netting a brace in a 7–0 win over the Dominican Republic in the build-up. He made his senior debut on 6 September 2024 against Italy at the Parc des Princes, starting and playing 58 minutes in a 3–1 loss. He quickly made his mark thereafter, scoring his first senior goal in a 2–0 win over Croatia in the Nations League quarter-final second leg in March 2025, also registering an assist to help France overturn a two-goal aggregate deficit and advance to the semi-finals. He has since made 15 senior appearances for France, scoring four goals and providing two assists, including a goal against Ukraine in World Cup qualifying in November 2025.

Personal life

When Olise was asked about his nationality, he said, “I actually come from four countries: France, Algeria, Nigeria, and England. I consider myself very lucky to possess these four parts, which all enrich me.”

Richard Olise, Michael’s younger brother, is also pursuing a professional career in football, currently at Chelsea’s academy as a defender.

Other Activities

In addition to his playing career, Olise and his former teammate Eberechi Eze jointly made a financial donation to the Nigerian Youth FA to help fund the development of grassroots football in Nigeria. Beyond football, he likes to play chess.