National Teams
Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup miss costs NFF $9m, endures historic back-to-back absence
By Dayo Awoniyi
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has forfeited a major financial windfall following the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, losing out on the minimum $9 million (about ₦12.99 billion) participation fee guaranteed to every team that reaches the tournament’s group stage.
Nigeria Footballng reports that the missed payout adds a financial blow to the sporting disappointment of failing to secure a place at the expanded 48-team World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The 2026 edition features increased prize money, with teams earning more as they progress through the knockout rounds. Qualification, therefore, represents both a competitive milestone and a significant revenue opportunity for national associations.
However, FIFA does not provide compensation for teams eliminated during qualification or in the intercontinental playoffs. Prize money is reserved strictly for nations that reach the tournament proper, leaving the NFF with no financial return from the campaign.
Nigeria’s absence from the 2026 finals marks a historic setback—the first time since the country’s World Cup debut in 1994 that the Super Eagles have failed to qualify for consecutive editions.
The development has heightened frustration among supporters and intensified scrutiny on the NFF after the team’s earlier failure to reach the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
With the missed qualification now official, the federation faces not only the loss of a substantial revenue stream but renewed debate over the structural and administrative reforms required to return Nigerian football to the global stage.
