Arsenal · UEFA Nations League · Attacker · #7 · England · 24 yrs
Every manager who works with Bukayo Saka ends up saying the same thing: "We have to be careful." During his time as England boss, Sir Gareth Southgate repeatedly talked about tailoring Saka's programme and avoiding unnecessary load. In the 2023-24 campaign - the heaviest season of his career - Saka played 59 matches, logged 4,756 minutes and completed 26 full games.
Bukayo Saka says winning the Premier League with Arsenal has given him "even more hunger" to achieve similar success with England at the World Cup. The 24-year-old played 31 times as the Gunners ended their 22-year wait for a league title, and is expected to start for the Three Lions in Wednesday's Group L opener against Croatia. Saka only started 25 Premier League matches across the campaign and had his minutes managed as he recovered from hip and Achilles issues during the run-in.
Bukayo Saka insists he is ready for England's opening World Cup match, having struggled with an Achilles injury in recent weeks. The post Saka admits World Cup fitness ‘gamble’ but ‘ready to go’ for England opener appeared first on SoccerNews.
Tuchel warns forward’s fitness being carefully monitoredSaka keen to play but not to ‘go against the manager’Bukayo Saka has admitted he is continuing to gamble on his fitness to play for England at the World Cup finals but said he “is ready to go” despite a nagging achilles injury.The Arsenal forward came off the bench in England’s last warm‑up game against Costa Rica but the England manager, Thomas Tuchel, warned that Saka’s fitness is being monitored carefully. The 24‑year‑old player is believed to have picked up the injury during the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City in March and missed Arsenal’s next seven matches as a result. Since then, he has completed 90 minutes only once in five appearances and was substituted before the end of normal time in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. Continue reading...
After four years of waiting, Mexico and South Africa will face off in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. Although neither team is considered a favorite to win the trophy, they will be hoping to deliver a competitive contest. Wilton Sampaio will be in charge of officiating the encounter. Mexico face South Africa in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. Although neither team is among the top contenders for the title, both are aiming to put on a great spectacle as they seek their first victory of the tournament and an early lead in their group. As the 23rd edition of the event gets underway, fans are eager to know who will be the referee for the match at the Estadio Azteca, officially known as Mexico City Stadium. Wilton Sampaio will be the referee in charge of officiating the match. With this being his third edition of the tournament, the Brazilian referee has become one of the most consistent referees, having held his FIFA badge since 2013. However, he faced significant controversy over his decisions in the France vs. England match at Qatar 2022, even drawing criticism from Harry Maguire. Accompanying Sampaio, FIFA has decided to assign Bruno Boschilia and Bruno Pires as his assistant referees, both of whom are also Brazilian. In addition, Paraguayan referee Juan Gabriel Benítez will serve as the fourth official. Finally, Colombian referee Nicolás Gallo will be in charge of VAR. With this officiating team in place, Mexico and South Africa will be hoping for a dynamic match in which the focus remains on the soccer rather than on refereeing decisions. Wilton Sampaio’s last World Cup match ended in controversy Following his extensive experience, Wilton Sampaio has been appointed as the central referee for the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. While the Brazilian has accumulated considerable experience throughout his career, his most recent appearance at the 2022 World Cup was surrounded by controversy. During the match between France and England, he made decisions that were criticized by then-England captain Harry Maguire. Jude Bellingham and Mason Mount of England protest to Referee Wilton Sampaio. After deciding not to award England a penalty and not to give a foul near the box on Bukayo Saka, Sampaio faced heavy criticism. Maguire even had strong words for the referee: “I can’t really explain his performance; the number of decisions he got wrong was actually incredible. Really poor,” he said. Via ITV. However, the Brazilian referee now has the chance to reverse his criticized image in the match between Mexico and South Africa. Who were the most recent referees for the World Cup opener? As the World Cup opener is a highly anticipated event, FIFA usually selects its highest-rated referees, with Wilton Sampaio being the choice for 2026. In the two most recent editions, this approach was repeated, giving the responsibility to referees with extensive international experience. For the opening match of Qatar 2022, renowned Italian referee Daniele Orsato was selected for the game between Qatar and Ecuador. Likewise, Argentine referee Néstor Pitana was chosen for the match between Russia and Saudi Arabia at the 2018 edition. With this approach, FIFA aims to keep the focus on the players rather than on refereeing decisions.
Bukayo Saka played through an Achilles issue at the end of Arsenal's title-winning season, with England now determined to avoid any risks. The post England to take cautious approach over Saka’s fitness ahead of World Cup appeared first on SoccerNews.
Liverpool's teenage forward Rio Ngumoha will leave the England camp after making a major impression on Thomas Tuchel and his international team-mates. The 17-year-ole, who is not in England's 26-man squad for the World Cup, was named man of the match for his debut performance as a second-half substitute in Saturday's 1-0 warm-up win over New Zealand. England play their final pre-tournament friendly on Wednesday against Costa Rica - and it will be interesting to see if Tuchel selects Ngumoha again, especially as there will be a full squad to choose from following the arrivals of Arsenal quartet Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.
