FIFA broadcast records broken

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has broken his silence on missing the FIFA World Cup for the second time in a row.
  
Nigeria missed the big party at Qatar 2022, and the ongoing World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The Super Eagles could not qualify in a group that has South Africa, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and the Benin Republic.
 
The Super Eagles had another opportunity through the playoffs. But after their opening game victory over Gabon, they lost the last opportunity to DR Congo in a penalty shootout.
 
Many Nigerians have called for the resignation of top Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials over the two missed World Cup tickets, while some football analysts are of the opinion that it might take a miracle for the likes of Osimhen to play at the World Cup even if Nigeria qualify for the 2030 edition.
 
The reality seems to have finally dawned on the Galatasaray striker, who has now expressed his regrets that Nigeria failed to make it to the 2026 World Cup.
 
In a social media livestream yesterday, the former Napoli striker, who lamented the country’s inability to make the 2026 World Cup, also revealed that his colleagues in the Super Eagles are gutted by Nigeria’s absence from the Mundial.
 
“I feel bad not playing at the World Cup… this is the second time in a row. I was talking with the other guys, and they feel the same way, but we move,” Osimhen said.
 
Osimhen is one of the many players in the current Super Eagles squad who may never feature in the World Cup.
 
Of the current Nigerian stars, only Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho have experienced the Mundial as they participated in the 2018 edition.
 
The other players, who are almost 30 years old, may not be at the top level when the championship comes around again in 2030.
 
Meanwhile, the world football governing body, FIFA, has said that the ongoing showpiece has made an extraordinary start on and off the pitch, with opening matches involving the tournament’s three host nations delivering record-breaking audiences across North America.
 
While more than one million fans have already experienced the FIFA World Cup live inside stadiums, television audiences across the host nations have also reached unprecedented heights – and more than 54 million viewers tuned in to watch opening matches featuring Canada, Mexico and the United States, highlighting the tournament’s extraordinary ability to unite and captivate audiences across North America.
 
Speaking of the record-breaking figures, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “What we are witnessing here is truly historic. The United States’ opening match against Paraguay was the most-watched FIFA World Cup match ever broadcast in the United States, while more than 54 million people across Canada, Mexico and the United States watched their respective nations’ opening matches, shattering records and showing how football is truly uniting the world.
 
“These figures tell you everything about what this tournament means to these countries, this continent and the entire world. However, this is not just about numbers – this is about millions of people from every corner of the world, coming together through football.

The atmosphere, energy and passion I feel in these host countries is something incredibly special. The fans inside full stadiums, those watching at home, and some celebrating in the streets are all part of something unique.”
 
The record audiences provide further evidence of the extraordinary engagement being generated by the FIFA World Cup 2026, with supporters across the three Host Nations embracing a tournament that is already making history both inside and outside the stadiums.