John Terry has described Nigeria’s absence from the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a major loss, saying the tournament would have been stronger with the Super Eagles involved.
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Speaking during a virtual roundtable ahead of the competition, the former England captain and Chelsea defender said he would have loved to see Nigeria at the World Cup because of the quality of players and the country’s football pedigree.
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The Eagles failed to qualify for the tournament after a disappointing qualifying campaign.
Eric Chelle’s men ended the CAF World Cup qualifying campaign second in Group C behind South Africa, who claimed the group’s automatic ticket to the tournament.
The Super Eagles remained in contention after overcoming Gabon in the playoff semi-final, but their hopes of reaching the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico were dashed when they suffered a penalty shootout defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the playoff final.
According to the former defender, the tournament would have been richer with the presence of the three-time African champions.
“I have to say quietly because I am currently in South Africa, that Nigeria is going to be a big miss,” Terry said. “This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had time to play in the competition.
I would have loved to have a top side like Nigeria to be there because they have got some great individuals. They are a great nation.”
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