Nigerian football legend Jay Jay Okocha has been honoured with a retrospective Man of the Match award
Former Super Eagles captain Jay-Jay Okocha has been presented with a historic FIFA award right before the opening match of the 2026 World Cup between Mexico and South Africa.
The 52-year-old midfield icon was given a special, retroactive trophy to honour one of his most famous nights in a green and white shirt.
Jay Jay Okocha Honoured for World Cup Display
The legendary playmaker represented Nigeria at three separate World Cup tournaments in 1994, 1998, and 2002.
Even though he never scored a goal or provided a direct assist during those tournaments, he became a fan favourite across the globe for his incredible skills. In fact, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Bolton midfielder still holds the all-time record for the most successful dribbles completed in a single World Cup match.
To celebrate these iconic moments, football platform Copa90 and Michelob ULTRA created the “Superior Player of the Match” award to recognise standout players from World Cups before the official Man of the Match award was created in 2002.
Okocha’s Famous Night in Nantes
Okocha took to his Instagram page to show off the silver trophy and thank the creators of the project. “Hello, this is JJ Okocha. I’m about to unveil this special award being given to me by FIFA,” the midfielder said in his video.
“It was given to me for winning the Superior Man of the Match in a World Cup game, Nigeria versus Spain, 1998. Special thank you to Michelob ULTRA and Copa90 for this amazing recognition.”
The special honour looks back at Nigeria’s famous 3-2 comeback victory over Spain at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, France.
While teammates Mutiu Adepoju and Sunday Oliseh stole the headlines with their goals against the Spanish defence, Okocha’s dribbling, creativity, and control in midfield were the real engine behind one of the biggest upsets in African football history.