Tochukwu Nnadi Reveals 2026 World Cup Dream After Surprise Super Eagles Call-Up

Marseille midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi has revealed that his long-term ambition was to represent Nigeria at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, admitting that his maiden Super Eagles call-up for the Africa Cup of Nations came as an unexpected but welcome surprise.

The young midfielder earned his first senior invitation after Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup ended in disappointment following a penalty shootout defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the African qualifying playoffs.

Despite missing out on football’s biggest stage, Nnadi was named in Nigeria’s squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where he made his senior international debut during the group-stage encounter against Uganda.

Speaking on the AySuga Channel, the former Botev Plovdiv midfielder disclosed that he had always envisioned making his breakthrough at the World Cup rather than at AFCON.

“I had dreams of playing in the World Cup, not the AFCON. It was a surprise for me, but I was happy,” Nnadi said.

The 21-year-old also recounted the emotional moment he learned of his first Super Eagles invitation, revealing that he was speaking with his father when the news arrived.

“I was on a call with my dad when the invitation came. I wanted to be at the World Cup because I had told my friends two years earlier that I would play at the 2026 World Cup. Being at AFCON was great, but I want more.”

Since breaking into the national team, Nnadi has continued to establish himself under the Super Eagles setup. During the recent international window, he was the only player to start all four matches against Zimbabwe, Jamaica, Poland and Portugal, taking his tally to five senior international appearances.

Before his promotion to the senior team, Nnadi impressed for Nigeria at youth level, featuring prominently for the Flying Eagles at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup and earning recognition as one of the country’s brightest midfield prospects.

Now developing his career at Marseille, the midfielder remains determined to fulfil his original dream of representing Nigeria on the biggest stage and hopes to play a key role in the Super Eagles’ future international campaigns.

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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