The world football governing body, FIFA, has confirmed that former Super Eagles captain Austin Jay-Jay Okocha remains the holder of the record for the most successful dribbles in a single FIFA World Cup match.
According to FIFA, Okocha completed an astonishing 15 successful dribbles during Nigeria’s Round of 16 encounter against Italy at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States. The achievement came against a formidable Italian side featuring renowned defenders such as Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Demetrio Albertini.
More than three decades later, no player has surpassed Okocha’s record. The closest challengers are Brazil’s Jairzinho, who completed 13 dribbles against Uruguay at the 1970 World Cup, and England’s Paul Gascoigne, who matched that figure against Cameroon in 1990.
FIFA’s all-time rankings also include several football greats who registered 12 successful dribbles in a single World Cup match, among them Eusebio, Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona and Jamal Musiala.
In overall World Cup history, Argentina captain Lionel Messi holds the record for the most successful dribbles across all tournament appearances, with 125 completed take-ons. Meanwhile, Maradona remains the player with the highest number of successful dribbles in a single World Cup edition, recording 53 during the 1986 tournament in Mexico.
Okocha’s enduring record further cements his reputation as one of the most gifted and entertaining dribblers ever to grace the game.
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