John Terry Disappointed by Nigeria's World Cup Absence

John Terry, the former England captain, expressed his disappointment regarding Nigeria's absence from the 2026 FIFA World Cup during a virtual roundtable session organized by SuperSport. He stated that the Super Eagles, known for their football pedigree and talent, will be greatly missed at the tournament.

Nigeria's hopes of qualifying were dashed after they finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, securing an automatic qualification spot. The Super Eagles' dreams were ultimately shattered when they lost to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the playoff semi-final, followed by a penalty shootout defeat in the final playoff.

This marks Nigeria's second consecutive absence from the World Cup, having also failed to qualify for the 2022 tournament in Qatar. The Nigeria Football Federation had previously challenged the Democratic Republic of Congo's qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but their appeal was dismissed.