Bukayo Saka

Bukayo Saka assisted one of England's goals in their 3-2 win over co-host Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on 5 July, sending England into the World Cup quarter-final against Norway in Miami on 11 July. He arrived at the tournament off the back of a title-winning season with Arsenal that also reached the Champions League final, and Thomas Tuchel rested him, along with Declan Rice, in England's final warm-up win over New Zealand on 7 June.

Saka came through Arsenal's academy and made his first-team debut in 2018, establishing himself as one of the Premier League's most consistent wide forwards, primarily on the right wing. He made his senior England debut in 2020 and was part of the squad that reached the Euro 2020 final, where he was one of three players to miss a penalty in the shootout defeat to Italy, a moment he has since spoken about overcoming. He also started at Euro 2024, where England again reached the final.

Saka's directness and end product have made him a fixture of Tuchel's attacking line-up alongside Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, and his return to full involvement for the Mexico match, after a period of rotation through the group stage, underlines his importance heading into the knockout rounds.