Troost-Ekong Reflects on Nigeria’s Missed Opportunity at 2026 FIFA World Cup
Retired Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has claimed Nigeria could have won the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup had the team qualified.
Speaking on SuperSport Unplugged during his punditry role at the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the former defender insisted the Super Eagles had the quality to go all the way.
Troost-Ekong, who retired from international football before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where Nigeria finished third, captained the team throughout their unsuccessful World Cup qualifying campaign.
Nigeria missed out on both the automatic qualification spot and the CAF playoff berth, which were secured by South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Responding to a question, Troost-Ekong said: ‘If Nigeria would have been at the World Cup then we would have gone all the way and won it.’
He tempered his remarks by acknowledging the difficulty of speculation, adding that Nigeria would have been competitive but admitted it was ‘such a big distance to talk about.
Troost-Ekong also admitted that watching the 2026 FIFA World Cup without Nigeria’s participation has been a painful experience, describing the situation as ‘strange and upsetting,’ reflecting on the emotions of covering the tournament from the studio rather than competing on the pitch.
The year old, who had aimed to lead Nigeria to the tournament, said: ‘Very strange… it feels really strange because of course you get more of the impact and maybe experience of the tournament, whereas I probably would have maybe watched a little bit less and tried to tune out because it’s still something painful.’
The former Al-Kholood defender stressed that he shares the disappointment felt by millions of Nigerians, reminding fans that he remains a passionate supporter of the Super Eagles even after retirement.
‘So it’s very painful and I’m sure the Nigerians feel that with us. First and foremost, I’m a Super Eagles fan. Of course you have the opportunity to steer the team and be part of it and give your best, but you want the team to do well at all times.’
