Bukayo Saka

Early career

Having previously played for youth teams of Watford, Saka joined Arsenal's Hale End academy at the age of seven. In 2020, the Arsenal U16 coach Trevor Bumstead said: "Bukayo always stood out in the younger teams. He was a fantastic decisionmaker. He knew when to beat people and when to pass, as well as having brilliant physical attributes and really good character and personality." Once he turned 17 years old, Saka signed a professional contract with Arsenal and was promoted to the under-23 team. On 29 November 2018, Saka made his first-team debut for Arsenal in their UEFA Europa League match against Vorskla Poltava, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute for Aaron Ramsey. On 13 December, Saka made his first full home debut for Arsenal in their Europa League match against Qarabağ. On 1 January 2019, Saka made his debut in the Premier League in a 4–1 win against Fulham after coming on for Alex Iwobi in the 83rd minute. He became the first player born in 2001 to play in a Premier League match. He was an unused substitute in the 2019 UEFA Europa League final 4–1 defeat against Chelsea on 29 May, receiving a runners-up medal.

2019–2020: Breakthrough and FA Cup win

Saka scored his first goal on 19 September, curling a fine effort from long range into the corner away to German team Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League. He finished the match with two assists also to his name in a 3–0 win. Saka was rewarded for his efforts in Germany with his first…

Youth career

Saka made his debut for the England national under-16 team on 24 August 2016 as a substitute in a 3–1 away win over Romania in a friendly. He made his first start two days later in a 2–1 defeat to the same opposition in another friendly, in which he scored. Saka was part of the squad for the 2017 UEFA Under-16 Development Tournament, making two appearances as England finished the tournament as runners-up. He finished his under-16 career with six appearances and one goal from 2016 to 2017. His first involvement with the England under-17 team came in the 2017 FA International Tournament, making his debut on 18 August 2017 in their opening match, a 3–2 home win over Turkey, in which he scored. Saka made one more appearance at the tournament, which England finished as runners-up. He was part of the team for the 2018 Torneio Internacional do Algarve, making two appearances as England ranked in third place. Saka was named in the team for the 2018 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in England, and appeared in all five of the team's matches at the tournament. England were eliminated 6–5 on a penalty shoot-out by the Netherlands in the semi-final after a 0–0 extra-time draw, although Saka scored his penalty kick in the shoot-out. He made nine appearances for the under-17s, scoring once, from 2017 to 2018. Saka was part of the England under-18 team for the 2018 Limoges Tournament in France, making his debut in England's opening match, a 3–0 win over the…

Bukayo Ayoyinka Temidayo Moses Saka was born on 5 September 2001 in Ealing, London, to Yoruba Nigerian parents, Adenike and Yomi Saka, the younger of two children. His parents emigrated to London from Nigeria as economic migrants. He attended Edward Betham Church of England Primary School before Greenford High School, where he gained high grades in his GCSEs, achieving four A*s and three As. In an interview, Saka stated the importance of his father, Yomi, in his footballing career: "He's a massive inspiration for me. From when I was young, he always kept me grounded, kept me humble." Prior to joining Arsenal's academy, Saka played youth football for local club Greenford Celtic where he played against Michael Olise's grassroots football team.

Saka's favourite footballer is Thierry Henry and he cites Alexis Sánchez as an influence, saying he even tried to copy Sánchez's boots when he was an academy player. Among past teammates, Saka said David Luiz helped him the most in his career, saying "he went out of his way" to help a lot of Arsenal youngsters "on and off the pitch". 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; although the couple prefer to keep their relationship largely private, they publicly announced their engagement in November 2025. In March 2024, Saka launched his own range of peri-peri sauce named "PERi-PERi Saka" at the Nando's restaurant chain.