"I am Nigerian, Not English": Did Bukayo Saka Actually Say This?
"I am Nigerian, Not English": The Saka Narrative That No One Should Believe
It’s amazing how backwards some football fans can still be when it comes to a player and their international identity.
A recently deleted tweet from the verified X account @BROKENBRITAIN0, as well as a couple of other accounts parroting the same information, recently went viral for accusing Arsenal and England star Bukayo Saka of saying, “I am Nigerian, not English. Where I was born doesn’t matter; I am Yoruba”, a comment that could severely dent his hopes of being taken to the World Cup in North America just under three months from now.
Just in: Bukayo Saka breaks silence on his original roots.
— TopG The Greatest 🇺🇬 (@TopGAlhpha12) March 19, 2026
“I am Nigerian, not English”
The Arsenal winger says he was born in London “where I was born doesn’t matter, I am Yoruba” pic.twitter.com/IDThA0GS5O
Let us be the first to put an end to this – Saka did not say this, nor has he ever said this. In fact, he has reaffirmed his English nationality to the media on multiple occasions, completely eliminating any possibility that this could have been said.
Roots
Born in London to Nigerian parents, Saka made the official decision to represent England over his country of origin, a decision that he admitted was ‘tough’, but he argued that it would have been strange to opt for the latter – "My family has been in England like forever; it would be very strange for me to adapt to an environment that I had never been in since growing up.”
Moreover, it would have been incredibly hard to reject the interest of England, one of the best national teams in the world, particularly when they wanted to embed him in the team as an inexperienced 19-year-old.
Their desire to play him at such a young age would have been a tipping point for Saka, who, like any young footballer, would have had his heart set on as much silverware as possible. Though some fans may not like to hear it, he stands a better chance of winning something with the Three Lions than he does with the Super Eagles.
So why are people trying to tarnish the Arsenal man’s reputation with fabricated quotes? Sure, if he had actually said that he were Nigerian instead of English, it would be a seriously damaging statement for his international career, as having made competitive appearances for England, he is no longer eligible to represent the African nation.
“My name is Bukayo Moses Ayoyinka Temidayo Saka. I am very proud of it. Both my parents grew up in Nigeria, so many of their values have been instilled in me”
— Arsenal Fans Nigeria™ 🇳🇬 (@ArsenalNigeria_) November 25, 2025
📹BBC’s The Football Interview pic.twitter.com/DWzp9bPx5F
However, given that the quotes are fabricated, it appears that the post is yet another example of internet misinformation. Additionally, though some may believe that the post could potentially be racially driven, we at Football Park believe that the false quote initially stemmed from a Nigerian page.
The reason we believe this is that it is not particularly common knowledge that Saka’s parents belong to an ethnicity called the Yoruba people, a group that occupies parts of Nigeria, Benin and Togo and is made up of around 50 million people.
Of course, this information is available on his Wikipedia page, but very few potentially racially driven fans would take the time to read about his background before tearing into him.
No, this post almost certainly can be sourced from a Nigerian page somewhere, in an attempt to farm engagement and create debate rather than report the actual truth.
As far as we are aware, Saka is still committed to the England football project and is more than likely to be called up to take the right wing spot in Thomas Tuchel’s starting lineup as he prepares for England’s tournament opener against Croatia on June 17th.
Joe Ryan 
