Nigeria’s Super Eagles have emerged as one of the biggest shocks among the World cup absentees, after failing to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
According to the latest FIFA men’s world rankings, Nigeria remain 26th globally, making them the second-highest-ranked nation not present at the tournament. Only Denmark, ranked 21st, sits higher among teams missing out on the global showpiece.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry described Nigeria’s absence as a major loss to the competition during a virtual SuperSport roundtable session, praising the quality of players within the squad.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said.
He added that Nigeria could have made a deep run in the tournament, noting: “I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain.”
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who earned automatic qualification.
Nigeria kept hopes alive through the playoffs, defeating Gabon in the semi-final before suffering a penalty shootout defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the final playoff round.
That loss confirmed Nigeria’s second consecutive absence from the World Cup, following their failure to qualify for the 2022 edition in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later contested DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the qualifiers, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing out, Nigeria remain among Africa’s strongest teams, ranked third on the continent behind Morocco and Senegal, with Algeria and Egypt completing the top five.
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At the global level, defending champions Argentina top the FIFA rankings ahead of Spain, France, England, and Portugal, while Brazil sit sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
The next FIFA world rankings update is scheduled for July 20, just a day after the 2026 World Cup final.
