Missing World Cup Twice Is Painful — Osimhen

According to Ireporter Online, Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen has expressed deep disappointment over Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the setback as painful for both himself and his teammates.

Osimhen made the remarks during a recent social media livestream, where he spoke openly for the first time about Nigeria’s absence from the global tournament. He noted that missing out on the World Cup for a second consecutive edition has been a difficult experience for the national team.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is currently underway and features an expanded 48-team format for the first time in history, has seen nations across the globe competing for football’s biggest prize. However, Nigeria, one of Africa’s most prominent football nations, is notably absent despite the continent securing increased qualification slots.

Reacting to the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify, Osimhen said the disappointment extended beyond him to the entire squad, stressing the emotional weight of missing back-to-back tournaments.

“It’s bad, not just for me but for the rest of the guys,” he said. “We’ve missed out twice in a row. Sometimes life happens, so we just have to keep moving.”

Nigeria’s qualification campaign ended after finishing second in their group before suffering elimination at the hands of DR Congo in the continental playoffs, confirming their absence from the expanded tournament.

The development marks another setback for Nigerian football, as the Super Eagles also failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The last time Nigeria featured on the global stage was in 2018 in Russia, where the team exited at the group stage.

Osimhen, regarded as one of Africa’s leading forwards, is among several current national team players yet to make an appearance at a senior FIFA World Cup. Despite the disappointment, he maintained that the team must move forward and focus on future competitions.