Lamine Yamal.
Photo Credit : FabrizioRomano
Spanish teenager, Lamine Yamal, has equalled a World Cup dribbling record that has stood since 1998, after statistics showed the Barcelona winger is averaging 12 successful dribbles per ninety minutes at the ongoing 2026 tournament, a mark last achieved by former Super Eagles captain, Jay-Jay Okocha, during Nigeria’s campaign at the France 1998 World Cup, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
According to ESPN, Yamal’s average is the highest by any player to feature for more than 200 minutes at a single World Cup since Okocha managed the same rate of twelve dribbles per ninety minutes 28 years ago, underlining the teenager’s growing influence on Spain’s run through the tournament.
Okocha, one of Nigeria’s most celebrated footballers, played all three of the Super Eagles’ group matches at the 1998 finals in France, starting in their memorable 3-2 win over Spain in Nantes and their 1-0 victory over Bulgaria, before Nigeria’s campaign ended in the round of 16, where they lost 4-1 to Denmark at the Stade de France.
