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Former WAFCON Champion Loretta Sadoh Serves as Volunteer at 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Loretta Sadoh, a former African champion with Nigeria’s Super Falcons, returned to the football spotlight this week — not on the pitch, but behind the scenes as a volunteer at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™.
Sadoh, once a commanding presence in defense for Nigeria and NWFL powerhouse Bayelsa Queens F.C., supported VIP guest operations during the tournament’s opening match between Al Ain FC and Juventus FC at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.
From assisting with logistics to helping high-profile guests, her role put her near FIFA President Gianni Infantino — “He waved, which was cool,” she recalled — Secretary General Mattias Grafström, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. But for Sadoh, the highlight came in a brief encounter with Juventus executive and legendary Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini.
“He was gracious. He was nice. I let him know it was really nice to meet him,” Sadoh said. “He had all these people around him — security and friends. So, it had to be really quick. We didn’t really get time to converse.”
Had they spoken longer, Chiellini might have learned that the woman welcoming him had a storied football history of her own. Like Chiellini, Sadoh is a continental champion. She earned her place in Nigerian football history as part of the Super Falcons squad that won bronze at the 2008 African Women’s Championship and then lifted the trophy in 2010 in South Africa.
Capped eight times for Nigeria, Sadoh also played club football in Finland before retiring in 2013. She transitioned into sports administration roles, working with the NWFL in sponsorship and marketing, and later with a youth-focused sports foundation. In 2016, she was awarded a scholarship to study sports management and international relations in South Korea, where she earned a master’s degree before relocating to Maryland in 2021.
Now working in healthcare IT, Sadoh continues to find ways to reconnect with the sport she loves. Volunteering at the Club World Cup marks a step toward that goal.
“I’m looking to really pivot into where my passion lies,” she said. “I’m looking to give back. I’m looking to network and support the competition and just be part of the excitement.”
For Sadoh, whose gold medal now rests in her Maryland home, volunteering represents more than nostalgia — it’s a renewed call to be part of football’s global community.
