Bukayo Saka on Arsenal being back in the Champions League and Ballon d’Or ambitions

In a recent interview, Arsenal sensation Bukayo Saka sat down with France Football to discuss his rise to prominence at the club, the Gunners being back in Europe’s premier competition and Mikel Arteta’s influence on his career. 

Saka told FF of how he used to “dream of playing football, debuting for Arsenal, playing in the Champions League and for England” as a child. These are all accomplishments he has added to his own arsenal in his illustrious career to date, besides playing in the Champions League. However, after spearheading a title challenge for his beloved club last season, he won’t have long to wait now.

The England international has only ever known Arsenal during his career, arriving at the club as an eight-year-old. Speaking about growing up in the Gunners’ academy, he said “Going to the Arsenal Academy every day and growing up there was an incredible experience for someone like me. I drew inspiration from many people there. Playing for Arsenal, one of the world’s biggest clubs, was a dream. The academy allowed me to visit the stadium too. I remember an Arsenal-Barcelona match with Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez. Those memories nourished my passion“.

With Arsenal now back in the Champions League, Saka commented on his ambitions moving forwards including potentially winning the Ballon d’Or, “Ultimately, my goal is to win numerous trophies for Arsenal and score pivotal goals. On the international stage as well, winning the World Cup with England would be monumental. The aspiration of every player, I believe, is to win the Ballon d’Or. But for now, our focus is on collective victories.”

The Arsenal v Barcelona match in question, of course, took place in the Champions League. The North London club are back in