Lamine Yamal Equals Jay-Jay Okocha’s World Cup Dribbling Record

Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has matched a World Cup record set by Nigerian great Jay-Jay Okocha 28 years ago, showing his growing influence at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

According to ESPN statistics, the Barcelona winger is averaging 12 successful dribbles every 90 minutes at the tournament. It is the highest rate recorded by any player to feature for more than 200 minutes at a single World Cup since Okocha achieved the same figure during Nigeria’s memorable campaign at France 1998.

Okocha featured in all three of Nigeria’s group matches at the 1998 finals. He starred as the Super Eagles came from behind to beat Spain 3-2 in Nantes before helping secure a 1-0 victory over Bulgaria. Nigeria’s run ended in the round of 16 with a 4-1 defeat to Denmark.

His display against Spain is still remembered as one of the finest by a Nigerian at the World Cup. Okocha completed nine successful dribbles, created two chances and delivered three crosses as Nigeria stunned the Europeans through goals from Mutiu Adepoju, an own goal by Andoni Zubizarreta and a superb long-range strike from Sunday Oliseh.

Naija News reports that FIFA recognised that performance by presenting Okocha with a retrospective Player of the Match award in June 2026, 28 years after the game.

The former Super Eagles captain also owns another remarkable World Cup record. At the 1994 tournament in the United States, he completed 15 successful dribbles against Italy, the highest number ever recorded by a player in a single World Cup match.

Yamal has emerged as one of the stars of the 2026 tournament. Spain have won all eight major tournament matches he has started, giving him a perfect 100 per cent record, the best by any European player in a World Cup or European Championship starting line-up.

The teenager also made history alongside Pau Cubarsi as the first pair of teenage team-mates to start a World Cup knockout match for any country in 68 years, since Pele and Antonio Altafini did so for Brazil in 1958.

Having recovered from the hamstring injury he suffered while playing for Barcelona in April, Yamal has looked increasingly influential as Spain progressed comfortably past Austria in the round of 32 and strengthened their hopes of lifting the World Cup trophy. Their next World Cup game is against Portugal.