Soccer
Super Eagles legend Jay-Jay Okocha and Lilian Iliev of Bulgaria. Copyright: xAllstarxPicturexLibraryxLtdxIMAGO
Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has reached the same World Cup dribbling level as Nigerian football legend Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha after another brilliant display at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 18-year-old Barcelona winger helped Spain beat Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32 and was named Man of the Match after troubling the Austrian defenders throughout the game.
According to Opta statistics, Yamal is now averaging 12 successful dribbles every 90 minutes at the tournament. That is exactly the same average Okocha recorded for Nigeria at the 1998 FIFA World Cup among players who played more than 200 minutes.
Yamal completed five successful dribbles against Austria, while also recording six shots and 14 touches inside Spain’s attacking penalty area. Before half-time alone, he completed three successful dribbles and delighted fans with three nutmegs as Spain comfortably controlled the match.
Although Yamal has now matched Okocha’s tournament average, the Nigerian icon still holds one of the most famous individual World Cup records ever set.
Soccer Okocha’s unforgettable World Cup masterpiece still stands
Okocha’s greatest dribbling performance came on July 5, 1994, when Nigeria faced Italy in the Round of 16 at Foxboro Stadium in the United States.
The then 21-year-old midfielder, who was playing for Eintracht Frankfurt, took on arguably football’s toughest defensive team at the time. Italy lined up with stars such as Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta, and Demetrio Albertini, yet Okocha repeatedly beat them with quick feet, sharp turns, body feints, and clever changes of direction.
The match lasted 120 minutes after going into extra time, giving Okocha more opportunities to carry the ball. Nigeria eventually lost 2-1 after Roberto Baggio inspired Italy’s comeback, but Okocha’s performance became one of the greatest individual displays in World Cup history.
As Nigeria chased a late equaliser, Okocha kept driving forward from deep positions, taking on defenders again and again. By the end of the match, FIFA’s official records credited him with 15 successful dribbles, the highest number ever completed by a player in a single World Cup match since data collection began in 1966.
So while Yamal has matched Okocha’s tournament dribbling average at the 2026 World Cup, the Super Eagles legend’s remarkable single-match record remains untouched more than 30 years later.
Imhonlamhen
Imhonlamhen is a football writer and editor at Soccernet.ng with over six years’ experience shaping its editorial voice. A lifelong Arsenal and Super Eagles fan, he combines engineering precision with training in journalism and digital media. He has covered four AFCONs and two Women’s AFCON tournaments, specialising in Super Eagles history and tracking Nigerian players worldwide, while keeping a close eye on the NPFL and emerging homegrown talents.
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