A photographer was denied US entry. The soccer star she works for now only posts her grainy TV screenshots
The celebrity, Michael Olise, rejected glossy photos for a grainy feed, all to stand by his longtime photographer friend
When you open the Instagram profile of a modern soccer superstar, you typically expect a polished and highly curated aesthetic featuring glossy, ultra-high-definition action shots. However, when you visit the page of Michael Olise, the 24-year-old French international and winger for Bayern Munich, you encounter something completely different. His page is filled with grainy, pixelated images. While it may seem that he's trying to stand out, there is an unexpected reason behind this choice, as reported by the Eastleigh Voice on July 12, 2026.
The feed went blank
Olise's feed caught the public eye when, before the 2026 FIFA World Cup even kicked off in the United States, he wiped off his entire profile clean. So, when the tournament began, fans were expecting something unique, but not perhaps the grainy, pixelated pictures which look like they were shot on television. Naturally, once the people saw it, this instantly sparked curiosity across the soccer world. However, the mystery wasn't solved until recently.
A staggering disappointment
As it turns out, these low-resolution pictures weren't being posted by Olise to grab the headlines, but because of a frustrating setback. Olise's longtime photographer, Florence Pernet, who has been documenting the winger's rise through the ranks, was denied media accreditation to cover the World Cup in person. This means she was left stranded at home, unable to access the stadium sidelines. But that didn't mean she'd stop working, and instead she and Olise decided to get creative. I don’t have an accreditation, but I do have my TV and my own vision," she said.
Loyalty over perfection
Rather than abandoning his photographer for thousands of pristine, crystal-clear agency images available to every elite athlete, Olise chose loyalty. He rejected the glossy PR machine to ensure Pernet remained an important part of his journey, even more so, with this being his first-ever World Cup. And so, Pernet decided to reply to this beautiful gesture with these unique, probably never-before-seen television photos.
Dominance on the pitch
While his unusual social media feed has been intriguing fans off the field, on it, Olise has turned into France's chief creator at the tournament. He's leading the assists charts with five assists. The Bayern star has been so impressive that people believe he's the team, which is gearing up for its semi-final clash against Spain, second-best player behind Kylian Mbappe. Moreover, he is also tied third for most dribbles completed with Lionel Messi with 15, only behind Vinicius Jr. (16) and Lamine Yamal (21), according to Planet Football.
Big respect
That said, the fans are loving this gesture from Olise, as they took to his post's (@m.olise) comment section to express their views. @changmai__naba wrote, "Big respect, it's BCOS his photographer was not allowed entry for WC so she takes his photos on tv from home, and he supporting her work." At the same time, @iamaxsinner commented, "I understand why he is posting these pictures, but my only question is, his photographer doesn’t have a good TV?"
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