Why Michael Olise wipes his Instagram at Fifa World Cup 2026: A friendship steals spotlight

Michael Olise’s social media pause at the FIFA World Cup 2026 has drawn attention for reasons rooted in loyalty rather than football. On June 16, the Bayern Munich forward deleted all posts from his Instagram account, prompting speculation online about a hacked account. The article says the move was personal: Olise’s longtime photographer, Florence Pernet, was reportedly denied US accreditation for the tournament. To support her, Olise wiped his feed and shared some of Pernet’s creative images captured at home from television screens. Her glitchy, artsy aesthetic—using raw scanlines, pixelation, and imperfect angles—went viral and highlighted football as more than standard stadium coverage.