World football governing body FIFA has confirmed that Nigerian football legend Austin Jay-Jay Okocha holds the record for the most successful dribbles in a single FIFA World Cup match.
According to FIFA statistics, Okocha completed 15 successful dribbles during Nigeria’s Round of 16 clash against Italy national football team at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States. The feat remains unmatched in World Cup history.
The former Nigeria national football team star achieved the record against an Italian side that featured defensive greats such as Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta, and Demetrio Albertini.
FIFA’s all-time ranking places Okocha ahead of Brazilian legend Jairzinho, who recorded 13 successful dribbles against Uruguay in 1970, and England’s Paul Gascoigne, who also managed 13 against Cameroon in 1990.
Other football icons listed among the tournament’s greatest dribblers include Eusébio, Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, and Jamal Musiala, each of whom recorded 12 successful dribbles in a World Cup match.
FIFA also noted that Lionel Messi holds the record for the most successful dribbles across all World Cup appearances combined, with 125 completed take-ons in his tournament career.
Meanwhile, Maradona remains the player with the highest number of successful dribbles in a single World Cup edition, registering 53 during the 1986 tournament in Mexico.
The recognition further strengthens Okocha’s reputation as one of Africa’s most skilful footballers and one of the greatest dribblers in football history.
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