Bukayo Saka matched a couple of records with his assist against Mexico on Sunday night, and he now has the chance to break them.
England progressed past Mexico with a 3-2 victory on Sunday night, or the early hours of Monday morning back in the UK.
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka helped to set Thomas Tuchel’s side on the path to progression with an assist for Jude Bellingham in the 36th minute, lifting a cross into the centre of the area for a simple headed finish.
The assist was Saka’s third of the tournament, which is a significant number for him to reach.
OptaJoe reports that three assists is the most an Arsenal player has managed at any World Cup on record (meaning since 1966). Dennis Bergkamp (1998) was the only Gunner to manage three in a previous tournament, and Saka joins Martin Odegaard in notching three in 2026.
On top of that, Saka has also matched England’s record for the most assists at a World Cup on record. The only two players to hit three in previous tournaments were David Beckham in 2002 and Harry Kane in 2022.
One more assist at this tournament would see Saka breaking both records, though he’ll face competition from Odegaard for the Arsenal player record.
The two will face off in the next round, as England play Norway in the quarter-finals.
That game is at a slightly more manageable time for those back home, taking place on Saturday, July 11th at 22:00 BST.
Regardless of the outcome, Saka’s overall World Cup record remains impressive, with six goal contributions (and a penalty won leading to a goal) in 485 minutes. That’s one every 81 minutes, even without the penalty award.
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