For the next six weeks, millions of football fans across the globe will be glued to their television sets, sports bars, and streaming devices to watch another quadrennial contest of the beautiful game, organized by FIFA. The present spectacle kicked off in Mexico last Thursday, which co-hosts the tournament with the United States of America and Canada. In the opening game, Mexico thrashed South Africa 2-0. This Mundial is the first of its kind in terms of organization, representation, and scale. From its usual 32-team format, this year's tournament has been expanded to 48 teams, resulting in 104 matches from 11 June to 19 July. The final match for the diadem will be played in the US. Argentina is the defending champion and one of the tournament's favorites.
Nigeria's Absence: A Painful Reality
Missing from the competition, sadly, is the Super Eagles of Nigeria. They could not qualify from Africa Group C, which comprised five other national teams: South Africa, Benin, Lesotho, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. South Africa secured the group's ticket with 18 points, just one point above Nigeria's 17. Nine other African countries in the Mundial are Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Cape Verde, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Tunisia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which qualified through intercontinental play-offs. It is “the beautiful game” as the great Pele of Brazil described it; the global unifier, the melting pot of cultures and friendships. Why Nigeria is not in this football galaxy, out of 10 representations from Africa, should be a crucial talking point for a considerable length of time.
Controversies Surrounding the Tournament
Ironically, President Donald Trump has robbed the football fiesta of its redolent spirit even before the kick-off, with his government's denial of entry to Somalian referee Omar Artan, officials from several teams, and supporters from across the world into the US. Equally, soaring ticket prices have denied many fans the right to be at the different stadia to cheer their teams. Unable to qualify, the Super Eagles have played friendly games against Poland, Portugal, Jordan, and Iran, which are participating in the tournament, to perfect their tactics. The last game in the series was played on Wednesday, and the Portuguese team, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, beat them 2-1.
A Decline in Nigerian Football
This is the Super Eagles' second consecutive failure to participate in the global football tournament. It is a true and poignant reflection of the abysmal depths our football has plumbed, and the incompetence of those entrusted with its administration. When the Super Eagles debuted in the USA in 1994, they reached the round of 16; they dazzled the world and were the toast of all, ending up ranked fifth globally. In 1998, the team also surpassed the group stage. Since then, the slippery slope began as they were bundled out in four subsequent editions at the group level. We thought that Nigeria's football administrators and players had learned their lessons by missing the 2022 edition. Regrettably, they chose to become “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” as Winston Churchill warned.
Administrative Failures Lead to Disaster
Trouble for Nigeria began with Jose Peseiro's resignation as coach after the 2023 AFCON finals in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, which Nigeria lost, without immediate steps taken to replace him. Finidi George, his assistant, was drafted in an acting capacity. When he finally got the job, Daniel Amokachi was designated as his assistant, but Amokachi rebuffed the offer without giving reasons. The consequences were telling in the Group C qualifiers that Finidi managed, with score lines of Nigeria 1-1 South Africa and Benin 2-1 Nigeria. At that point, he resigned in June 2024, seeing the irredeemable fate awaiting the country. Austin Eguavoen replaced him temporarily until the incumbent, Eric Chelle, took over in January 2025. By then, the ticket had been lost. Qualification was no longer in Nigeria's hands, but in the envisioned misfortune of South Africa, which never happened.
Lost Opportunity for National Unity
We bemoan the situation because the ongoing World Cup miss for Nigeria is a lost opportunity for national solidarity, amid the ethnic, sectarian, and regional divides that constantly negate our quest for nationhood. Those in charge of our football and the political authorities should always be aware of the potential of this game as a symbolic vehicle for nation-building, offering insight into how binding nationalism can be forged. It needs to be constantly approached with the seriousness it deserves. Football breeds talents, lifts youth out of poverty, and creates wealth, as the swelling international purse of the game testifies—from player income to media rights and other forms of merchandising. Nigeria has lost multiple levels of fortune due to the Super Eagles not featuring in the tournament. But this negative tide can be turned around with the right attitude and vision, if we can put our acts right in football administration and work towards ensuring our participation in the 2030 Mundial.
Trump's Travel Restrictions Mar the Tournament
Unfortunately, for the majority of humanity anticipating the unique experiences and entertainment of the World Cup, Trump has significantly muddied this up with exasperating border barriers to restrict participation. Among instances was the situation of Somalian referee Omar Artan, who was subjected to 11 hours of border interrogation at Miami airport before being denied entry, despite a valid diplomatic visa and intact travel documents. Equally, the Senegalese and Uzbekistan national teams were put through ill-tempered entry checks, while the US government has ensured that the Iranian team never spends a night on US soil, having to return to Mexico after each game due to the continued war between both countries. Iranian fans have had their stadium tickets withdrawn. The Trump administration's misanthropic immigration policy has barred nationals of 12 countries from entry into the US since June 2025.
Criticism of FIFA Leadership
The dissonance from all this is so crippling that Dutch football great Ruud Gullit called out FIFA President Gianni Infantino for allowing such discredit to be brought upon the game. He wants Infantino to step down and take responsibility for the mess. Gullit lamented that “a World Cup should unite people. Instead, this tournament is becoming a symbol of division, political disputes, travel restrictions, and administrative failures.” He couldn't be more right. Infantino has mired the tournament in a miasma, with the indelible footprints of a FIFA boss who chose to subject the tournament to an inhospitable host. More disturbing is that he has never defended any of the footballing victims whose rights President Trump has violated. Rather, he keeps appealing to the incredulous and unacceptable argument that FIFA has no control over national borders or the power to admit participants into any country. But we could as well say that FIFA had the responsibility of choosing a host who would not be as disagreeable and detesting of those whose participation brings joy and beauty to a game that entertains and unifies humanity. Infantino has set a dangerous precedent that should never be allowed to stand going forward.
