What do the statistics reveal regarding the discussion about Bukayo Saka being ‘world-class’? Is the Arsenal player excelling compared to Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal, or Raphinha?

I’ve debated it quite a lot over the years about, ‘Is he world-class?’

“Saka, 100%, [he is] a world-class footballer who will decide matches now for the rest of his career at the top table alongside the best players.”

These were the emphatic words of TNT Sports’ Rio Ferdinand after Bukayo Saka’s stunning opener propelled Arsenal to a memorable UEFA Champions League knockout victory over reigning champions Real Madrid.

Ferdinand continued, “They would have gone into this game and gone ‘right, you’ve got Vinicius and [Kylian] Mbappe’. Saka would have been judging himself against those players; that’s what happens. They have come out on top today. It’s only one game over two games, I get that. But it’s a chance to go, ‘right, I’m at the top table today, and I’ve actually sat here comfortably, and overshadowed the people that were meant to be better than me. Let’s start talking, where am I?’ I think it’s a great confidence boost.”

Was Ferdinand right? Was this the performance to finally settle the ‘world-class’ debate surrounding Saka?

To find out, we’ve delved into the numbers to see how the 23-year-old stacks up against some of the other stellar attacking talents in this year’s Champions League.

Firstly, it’s worth noting that Saka, who became only the sixth English player in UCL history to score away at the Bernabeu, missed four UCL matches during the winter due to a torn hamstring.

This means a fairer comparison for this season’s competition can be made using per 90 stats. In terms of goal involvements, Saka finds himself in elite company, even surpassing a certain England teammate.

Here’s how the players compare in terms of UCL goals and assists per 90 minutes:

– Raphinha: 1.68
– Guirassy, Serhou: 1.41
– De Ketelaere, Charles: 1.15
– Lautaro Martínez: 1.11
– David, Jonathan: 1.09
– Saka, Bukayo: 1.08
– Kane, Harry: 1.05
– Gyokeres, Viktor: 1.04
– Lewandowski, Robert: 1.04
– Griezmann, Antoine: 0.98

Stats: Opta (min 500 mins)

So, how does Saka compare to his rivals?

If Saka is indeed world-class, then the same can surely be said about the likes of PSG’s Ousmane Dembele, and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.

Dembele has had a breakout season in more ways than one, particularly in terms of goals, netting 32 in all competitions and seven in the UCL. Raphinha has delivered exceptional returns, on track to surpass Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for the most goal involvements in a single UCL campaign, currently sitting on 19—just two behind Ronaldo’s 21, with the Brazilian potentially having three games left to play.

Yamal, remarkably still only 17, has kicked on this term after winning the Euros with Spain last summer, forming a formidable attacking trident alongside Raphinha and the ever-productive Robert Lewandowski.

How does Saka measure up against these peers in terms of data?

It’s evident that Dembele, Yamal, and Raphinha are enjoying possibly the best seasons of their careers, setting a high benchmark for Saka to reach. Given that the England star is just returning from a serious injury, it’s impressive that he found such a high level against Real Madrid.

If he can maintain his fitness for the two semi-finals—and the final, should Arsenal progress—these numbers could be worth revisiting.

Looking ahead, how could the Ballon d’Or 2025 pan out?

With no international competitions this summer, the Ballon d’Or winner is likely to emerge from a Champions League-winning club. This narrows the candidates down to the aforementioned Barcelona attacking trio, Dembele, Saka, or Lautaro Martinez of Inter.

After back-to-back player of the match awards against Real Madrid, Declan Rice could even be considered an outside shot at this stage.

But what role could the Club World Cup play?

The 2025 edition of the competition will see 32 teams compete in the revamped tournament this summer in the USA. Of the last four teams still alive in the UCL, only two—Inter and PSG—are heading to the CWC.

Could securing two significant club trophies give Dembele or Martinez the edge in the eyes of the voters?

“This place has absolutely erupted,” Martinez exclaimed as he restored Inter’s aggregate lead. The stage is set for an exciting conclusion to the season.