England and Chelsea legend John Terry has expressed disappointment over Nigeria’s absence from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, admitting that the Super Eagles will be sorely missed as the tournament begins today.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured one of the automatic qualification spots for the tournament.
The Super Eagles kept their hopes alive by defeating Gabon in the playoff semi-finals but saw their dreams shattered after losing to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final.
The defeat condemned Nigeria to a second successive absence from the World Cup, having also failed to qualify for the 2022 tournament in Qatar. The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign. However, the appeal was dismissed, ending any hopes of a late reprieve.
Speaking during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport, the former England captain told The PUNCH that a nation with Nigeria’s football pedigree and talent deserved to be at the World Cup and would be greatly missed at the tournament.
