Over the last few seasons, we have seen the conversation of who is the best player in the world jump from just two names during the Messi-Ronaldo era, to a conversation that now includes a number of players who bring a number of different debates to the table as to why they have a claim to being the best player in the world.

For the first time in what feels like forever, Bayern actually has a number of players who have solid cases to be the best player in the world, with one in particular being Michael Olise. The 24-year-old has been playing out of his mind so far to start the new season, picking up right where he left off at the end of the last campaign, making a claim that more people should be talking about him in the conversation with the very best, and one Bayern chief is already having that conversation.

While speaking with SPORT this week, Bayern Munich board member Uli Hoeneß expressed his admiration for Michael Olise, going as far as to say he believes the Frenchman is better than Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal. Hoeneß went on to say:

Michael Olise is on his way to becoming the best player in the world. For me, he is better than Lamine Yamal. He scores goals, provides assists, is fast… He is practically the perfect player.Uli Hoeneß

Uli Hoeneß' bold claim may not be too far off

Olise arrived at Bayern from Crystal Palace as a very good player but has developed into one of the best players in the world. As Hoeneß said, Olise can do everything on the pitch, from scoring and assisting to dribbling past multiple defenders, even tracking back and doing his defensive work, which is rarely seen from the superstar wingers of the modern game. He has done everything to be worthy of being in the conversation for best player in the world, possibly even better than Lamine Yamal, and the stats speak for themself.

Olise is coming off his career-best year, grabbing 22 goals and 31 assists in 52 matches, and being a crucial part of Bayern's Bundesliga, German Super Cup, and DFB Pokal triumphs in the 25/26 season. Yamal on the other hand, is coming off a 25/26 season where he grabbed 24 goals and 18 assists in 45 matches, in a season where he won La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup and the FIFA World Cup. Both were strong seasons in their own right, and both are clear indicators that the two are some of the best players in the world at the moment.

As a Bayern board member, Hoeneß is always going to back his player, as are Bayern fans, and while it is a bold claim that may ruffle some feathers, Olise and Yamal aren't as far apart as many think, with the two fighting neck-and-neck for the crown of best winger in the world.