By Segun Odegbami

The Super Eagles of Nigeria are badly missed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Although, this ongoing edition of the world’s biggest single sports event has been a feast of unexpected results, drama and suspense-filled matches, it has also been a great revelation for those keeping a close eye on things happening around it.

Though Nigeria’s national team are not participating here, the absence of the Super Eagles at the championship is felt every time players of Nigerian-descent representing other countries perform well. I am still researching to find out the exact number. From the names listed in the various teams we know the Nigerian players that are in the England, United States, Austria, France and, possibly, other national teams. Nigerians may actually make up the largest number of nationals representing other countries at the World Cup.

At the last count,12 Nigerians have been identified in the championship. They can easily form an imaginary Diaspora Super Eagles. One analyst even imagined a team of the Diasporas combining with the Super Eagles that failed to make it to the World Cup. Sam Okpodu, former international player, former coach of the Falcons and a former Chairman of the Black Coaches Association of the USA, said that a combination of Victor Osimhen, Folarin Balogun (USA) and Bukayo Saka (England) in the frontline of the Super Eagles team would have been unstoppable at this World Cup.

In short, Nigeria is a ‘field of dreams’. Nature and the environment have endowed the people with gifted football players that are athletic, physically strong and unashamedly expressive. Add to those organic elements some high level technical and tactical skills, the Super Eagles will conquer the world.

Incidentally, people forget how many global trophies the country has won at various age groups in the past 4 decades. This becomes a huge psychological advantage and incentive to become World Champions. Their 1996 Olympic Gold Medal achievement is a clear testimony of that possibility and a solid platform to build the required mentality needed to win at World Cup level.

That’s how good Nigerian players are currently. More are in the works and on the way! They are missed in the ongoing World Cup.

Then, comes the human angle side of football – the support on the streets and in the terraces. Here, Nigeria dwarfs every other Black nation on earth!

Nigerians constitute the largest African population in the three hosting countries – USA, Canada and Mexico. Nigerians, excessively loud and vociferous, would have filled the terraces with their numbers and the air with their voices in the host cities where their national team would have been playing. They would have painted the cities White and Green, and turned the streets into mini carnivals with their food, fans, fashion, drums, singing and dancing!

Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, who, by the way, more than deserves a national honour by now for his patriotic and meritorious services to Nigerian sports for several decades, would have kept the rest of the world dancing on their feet to the rhythm of the thumping drums of Nigeria’s global Afrobeats music ambassadors now bestriding the world like Eagles!

The loudness, the brashness, the boldness, the boastfulness, and the swagger of the Nigerian football fan would have added a different dimension in the terraces and streets to the ongoing feast of football.

On the fields on play, most matches have been very closely contested. Many of those involving the African teams have ended in draws against teams once considered superior to them. The gap between the teams has narrowed down very significantly. Africa is no longer the continent that goes to the championship only to make up the numbers. Africa is now knocking on the door of true contention for the title.

Nigeria missed a big opportunity by not taking the qualification matches for the 2026 World Cup seriously enough throughout the qualifiers.

With every passing day now, the pain of not being a part of the 2026 party continues to hurt and haunt Nigerians as they watch other African teams in the global ‘dance’ of football.

Nigeria would have added some more colour, more excitement, more drama, and more ‘good’ noise to the biggest football event in human history. The Super Eagles are sorely missed in USA/Mexico and Canada! That’s why, it is important to ensure that for the 2030 edition Nigeria does not disappoint again!

All hands must be on deck even as we sit and watch, rather painfully, the beautiful drama going on at the FIFA 2026 World Cup!