Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 36.

The Netherlands-born defender has taken this decision following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Italian journalist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, disclosed this on Thursday via a post on his official X account.

“William Troost-Ekong has decided to retire from international football and won’t play for Nigeria again,” Romano wrote.

“After 83 caps, three medals and playing in five major tournaments, Troost-Ekong says goodbye to the Super Eagles.”

The defender also posted on X alongside a video: “HONOURED. GRATEFUL. FOREVER A SUPER EAGLE. Playing for Nigeria has been the greatest privilege of my life. The journey may end here, but my support never will. Here’s to the next chapter.”

The central defender has played a total of 83 matches for the Super Eagles from which he scored eight goals.

The major tournaments he attended with the Nigerian senior men’s national team include the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt in 2019, AFCON 2021 in Cameroun and AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast where he emerged as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament.

Troost-Ekong won the AFCON bronze medal in 2019 after Nigeria defeated Tunisia 1-0 in the third/fourth place play-off while he won the AFCON silver medal last year following the Super Eagles’ 2-1 defeat to host nation, Ivory Coast in the final.

The former Watford and Udinese centre-back also attended the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, a tournament where Nigeria failed to reach the knockout stages while he was at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, winning bronze with the U-23 side.

Despite retiring from international football, he plans to travel with the Super Eagles to the 2025 AFCON in Morocco as a non-playing squad member to support the team.