Nnadi Aims for World Cup Glory with Nigeria, Not AFCON

Tochukwu Nnadi, a midfielder for Marseille, articulated his dream of representing Nigeria in the FIFA World Cup rather than the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). He received his first international call-up to the Super Eagles for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, where Nigeria's chances were thwarted by a penalty shootout loss to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the African playoff final in November 2025.

Nnadi was selected for the Super Eagles' final roster for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and made his senior debut during a group stage match against Uganda. In an interview with Aysuga Channel, Nnadi recounted the moment he received his first call-up, which occurred during a personal phone conversation with his father.

He had previously told a friend two years ago about his aspiration to participate in the 2026 World Cup. Nnadi has been an integral part of the Nigerian squad, bringing his experience from playing in the 2023 FIFA U20 World Cup.