Missing World Cup Twice Painful – Says Osimhen

Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, has admitted that Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been difficult for him and his teammates.

Osimhen, who spoke publicly on the matter for the first time during a recent social media livestream, said the disappointment of missing out on the tournament for the second consecutive time was a painful experience for the national team.

The 2026 World Cup, which features 48 teams for the first time in the history of the competition, got underway last week with countries from across the world taking part.

However, Nigeria, one of Africa’s traditional football powerhouses, is missing from the tournament despite the continent receiving nine automatic qualification slots and an additional playoff berth.

Reacting to the Super Eagles’ absence, Osimhen said the situation was painful not only for him personally but also for the rest of the players.

“It’s bad, not just for me but for the rest of the guys,” Osimhen stated.

“We’ve missed out twice in a row. Sometimes life happens, so we just have to keep moving.”

The striker’s remarks reflect the mood among many Nigerian football fans, who had expected the Super Eagles to return to the global stage after missing the 2022 edition in Qatar.

Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup ended after the Super Eagles finished second in their qualification group. They were later eliminated by DR Congo in the continental playoffs, a result that confirmed their absence from the expanded tournament.

The setback means Nigeria will miss the World Cup for the second consecutive edition, having also failed to qualify for the 2022 tournament.

The country last appeared at the World Cup in 2018 in Russia, where the Super Eagles crashed out in the group stage.

Nigeria’s continued absence from the tournament means several members of the current national team are yet to experience football’s biggest stage.

Osimhen, despite being one of Africa’s most prominent forwards, is among the players who have not represented Nigeria at a senior FIFA World Cup.

Although Osimhen admitted the disappointment was difficult to accept, he said the players had no choice but to move forward and focus on future assignments.