Rafael Benitez Laments Osimhen’s Absence as 2026 World Cup Loss for Nigeria and Football Fans

Former Rafael Benítez, who has coached elite clubs including Liverpool, Real Madrid and Napoli, has expressed disappointment over Victor Osimhen missing the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the Nigerian striker as one of the standout attacking talents absent from the competition.

Osimhen will not feature at the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico after Nigeria national football team failed to qualify following a difficult qualifying campaign that ended in the decisive stages.

Now playing for Galatasaray, the Nigerian forward is widely regarded as one of Africa’s top strikers. Despite his club success, he is still yet to appear at a World Cup, having also missed the 2022 edition after Nigeria failed to qualify.

Speaking to Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, Benítez listed Osimhen among several major names whose absence he believes weakens the tournament’s overall quality.

“Too easy: Kvaratskhelia, first and foremost,” Benítez said. “And then Osimhen too… but I must also add Zieliński and Lewandowski, one of the greatest ever.”

The Spanish coach also highlighted other stars missing out, including Robert Lewandowski, Piotr Zieliński and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Benítez’s remarks underline Osimhen’s growing reputation in European football, built on pace, physical strength and consistent goalscoring that has made him one of the continent’s most sought-after forwards.

Looking ahead to the tournament, Benítez identified France and Spain as leading contenders, praising France’s depth in attack and Spain’s emerging young generation led by Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.

He also included England and Germany among the strongest challengers for football’s biggest prize.

For Nigerian supporters, the absence of Osimhen remains a painful reminder of the team’s failed qualification campaign, particularly given his status as the nation’s leading attacking figure in recent years.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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