June 12, 2026
The football world stood still as the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off in Mexico, Canada and USA, yesterday. Forty eight nations are participating in the quadrennial global showpiece.
Out of that number, ten nations are representing Africa. Unfortunately, Nigeria is not among them. It is the second consecutive edition that Africa’s most populous nation has failed to qualify for the World Cup. A general sense of frustration pervades the land. The fans are despondent and stakeholders are wondering what dragged Nigeria’s football to this level of continental and global insignificance.
It’s unthinkable that Cape Verde, ranked 69th in the world, is at the World Cup. DR Congo is also at the World Cup at the expense of 26th ranked Nigeria. It might interest one to also know that Nigeria is the undisputed leader in African football player exports and ranks among the top 10 globally. According to experts, the country consistently places between 8th and 10th worldwide, standing as the only African nation in the global top 10.
For Nigeria, a country that had built a frightening reputation in global football to miss two successive World Cup tournaments, even with the expanded format, leaves much to be desired.
