Bukayo Saka

Bukayo Ayoyinka Temidayo Moses Saka was born in London to Yoruba Nigerian parents, Adenike and Yomi Saka. He grew up in Greenford and began playing youth football with local club Greenford Celtic before entering the professional academy system. His father, Yomi, has been an important influence on his football career and has spoken of keeping Saka grounded and humble.

Saka attended Edward Betham Church of England Primary School before Greenford High School. He achieved four A*s and three As in his GCSEs. His name, Bukayo, comes from the Yoruba language and means “adds to joy.”

Saka played for youth teams at Watford before joining Arsenal's Hale End academy at the age of seven. He signed his first professional contract with Arsenal after turning 17 and was promoted to the under-23 team. His first-team debut came on 29 November 2018 in a UEFA Europa League match against Vorskla Poltava, when he replaced Aaron Ramsey. He made his Premier League debut against Fulham on 1 January 2019, becoming the first player born in 2001 to appear in the competition.

Saka's breakthrough came during the 2019-20 season. Injuries to Sead Kolašinac and Kieran Tierney gave him opportunities at left-back, while he also contributed as an attacking player. He scored his first senior goal against Eintracht Frankfurt in September 2019, recording two assists in the same 3-0 victory, and later scored his first Premier League goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He signed a new long-term Arsenal contract in July 2020 and was an unused substitute when the club defeated Chelsea in the 2020 FA Cup final.

Under manager Mikel Arteta, Saka developed into a regular first-team player and won Arsenal's Player of the Season award in both 2020-21 and 2021-22. He became the first player to retain the award since Thierry Henry had done so in 2003 and 2004. During the 2022-23 season, he produced 27 goal contributions and won the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Saka continued to set milestones for Arsenal. He set a club record with 83 consecutive Premier League appearances in 2023, captained the team for the first time against Sheffield United in October of that year and made his 200th Arsenal appearance in December 2023. In 2023-24, he was Arsenal's leading scorer in both the Premier League and all competitions. He helped Arsenal win the Premier League title in 2025-26, the club's first in 22 years.

Saka represented England from under-16 through under-21 level before making his senior debut in a 3-0 victory over Wales in October 2020. He scored his first senior international goal against Austria in June 2021. He was selected for England's UEFA Euro 2020 squad and impressed during the tournament, including a man-of-the-match performance against the Czech Republic.

In the Euro 2020 final against Italy, Saka took England's fifth penalty in the shoot-out after the match ended 1-1 following extra time. Gianluigi Donnarumma saved the effort, and Italy won the tournament. Saka subsequently faced racist abuse online, but received strong public support and returned to score for England against Andorra on his 20th birthday.

Saka scored three goals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and was named England's man of the match during the quarter-final defeat by France. He scored his first senior hat-trick in a 7-0 Euro 2024 qualifying win over North Macedonia. At Euro 2024, he scored England's equaliser against Switzerland in the quarter-final and converted his penalty as England won the shoot-out. He was named England Men's Player of the Year for both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.

Saka is predominantly a left-footed right winger who combines pace, dribbling, strength and crossing ability. He often cuts inside from the right to shoot, particularly with curled efforts from distance, but can also use his right foot to attack the byline. His versatility has allowed him to play on either flank, as a left winger, wing-back or full-back.

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson has described Saka as a player for important moments. Saka has also been called “Little Chilli”, a nickname given to him by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and “Starboy.” His favourite footballer is Thierry Henry, while he has cited Alexis Sánchez as an influence and David Luiz as a teammate who helped him most during his Arsenal career.

Saka is a practising Christian and has said that he reads the Bible every night. He has been in a relationship with Tolami Benson since 2020, and the couple announced their engagement in November 2025.

In March 2024, Saka launched a peri-peri sauce range called “PERi-PERi Saka” through the Nando's restaurant chain.