Bukayo Saka aims to help England win World Cup and earn a second star

Bukayo Saka wants to do something no England player has managed since 1966: lift a World Cup trophy. The 24-year-old Arsenal winger has made his ambitions unambiguous ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, stating he is focused on helping the Three Lions earn a second star on their crest.

That second star would represent only England’s second World Cup title in their entire footballing history. For context, the first one came six decades ago, when Bobby Moore’s squad won on home soil.

Fitness questions linger ahead of the tournament

Saka’s recent season has been marked by a series of injuries. Hamstring issues, hip problems, and Achilles concerns have all featured in what amounts to a challenging campaign on the fitness front.

England head coach Thomas Tuchel has been closely monitoring Saka’s condition. Load management has been a recurring theme in discussions around the winger’s availability, with the World Cup squad cutoff date set for June 15, 2026. Tuchel has provided regular updates on Saka’s fitness, a sign of just how central the Arsenal man is to England’s plans.

Qualifying form backs up the talk

Saka’s performances during the qualifying campaign have underlined why he’s considered pivotal to England’s chances. He scored in a 2-0 victory over Serbia during the qualifiers.

The 2026 World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will represent Saka’s potential fourth major international competition. At just 24 years old, the man could be heading into his fourth major tournament.

His international journey stretches back to UEFA Euro 2020, where England reached the final before falling to Italy on penalties. He then featured at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, adding to a growing reservoir of tournament experience.

What this means for England’s World Cup prospects

The 2026 tournament’s expanded format, with 48 teams across three host nations, means more games and a longer path to the final, making squad fitness and rotation more important than ever.

Tuchel’s approach to managing Saka’s workload in the group stages will be telling, with the cutoff for squad selection set for June 15.

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