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It has been exactly nine days since Spain lifted the FIFA World Cup, and that generation of La Furia Roja made history for themselves and their nation. Their triumph brought an end to a World Cup unlike any before it, a 104 match tournament that was a first in so many ways: entertaining, dramatic, emotional and ultimately historic.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has come and gone. In fact, the countdown to the return of club football for the 2026–27 season is already underway. Yet, that has done little to slow the conversations around the tournament, nor has it taken us too far away from everything the World Cup delivered across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
For some, the conversations will revolve around money. For others, it will be about the players whose careers reached new heights over the course of the tournament. There will be discussions about transfers completed on the back of standout World Cup performances, new stars who announced themselves on the biggest stage, and the moments that will live on long after the final whistle.
There is still plenty to unpack from the tournament, and there will never really be a wrong time for those conversations. That is the nature of a World Cup. Its impact stretches far beyond the month in which it is played.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria, however, were not part of it.
Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making it a second consecutive tournament the country has missed. It was a painful reality for millions of supporters, one that lingered throughout the competition. And even though the tournament has now ended, the feeling of what could have been has not completely disappeared for many Nigerian football fans.
So, amid the many conversations that continue to surround the 2026 FIFA World Cup, one question still stands.
Did the World Cup miss something by not having the Super Eagles of Nigeria on its biggest stage? And, perhaps more importantly, what exactly did the Super Eagles miss by failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
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It probably makes no sense, or perhaps even unfair to say the 2026 World Cup missed Nigeria. After all, every team that made it to the finals earned their place; it wasn’t handed to anyone.
Even teams like Iran, who had reasons on several grounds to pull out, still participated because they had secured qualification. Nigeria not being there was ultimately Nigeria’s fault. World Cup qualification is earned on the pitch, with every nation given the opportunity to qualify. So, in that sense, maybe Nigeria wasn’t missed.
But in other contexts, maybe Nigeria was.
Nigeria at any tournament means you’ll hear the trumpets, the drums and the songs from the supporters throughout the games. It’s a culture that many have fallen in love with. Even when a match isn’t going Nigeria’s way, the singing never really stops. It’s one of the things that makes following the Super Eagles unique.
That may well be something the world missed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup because, in all honesty, it’s a beautiful sight to witness. Not many sets of supporters around the world back their team the way Nigerian fans do. Even when they aren’t there in large numbers, you can still hear them, feel their presence and recognise the passion they bring to every game.
Another thing, away from football itself, is the vibe and energy the team brings.
The Super Eagles have built a unique pre-match culture. They arrive at stadiums with Nigerian songs blasting through their speakers, tracks from the likes of Austino Milado, Solidstar and many others. Led by one player, the squad dances from the team bus all the way into the dressing room, turning what is usually a routine arrival into a moment of celebration.
Who doesn’t enjoy seeing that? Even those who don’t understand the lyrics can still appreciate the atmosphere it creates. It’s a whole vibe, one that has become part of the team’s identity.
For tournament organisers, broadcasters and the media, those moments are also valuable content. Videos of the Super Eagles dancing before matches consistently generate engagement across social media, often reaching audiences beyond Nigerian football fans.
It is another part of the World Cup experience that, without Nigeria’s presence, was undoubtedly missed.
Nigeria’s football may not have been what the 2026 FIFA World Cup missed, but everything that comes with Nigeria certainly was.
The music. The supporters. The energy. The pre-match vibes from the players. The atmosphere that follows the Super Eagles wherever they go. These are all part of Nigeria’s identity at major tournaments.
It is difficult to bet against those being missed.
They are the little things that make the World Cup feel bigger, louder and more colourful. While Nigeria’s absence may not have changed the football played on the pitch, it undoubtedly left the tournament without some of the culture, passion and entertainment that the Super Eagles and their supporters naturally bring off it.
