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The Nigeria Football Federation has sensationally missed out on a historic prize pool for the FIFA men’s World Cup. Nigeria was expected to compete in the first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. However, they underperformed in the qualifiers, finishing second in their group behind South Africa.
Despite this setback, the Super Eagles managed to reach the continental playoffs, where only one of four teams could secure qualification. After eliminating Gabon, they ultimately fell to DR Congo in a heartbreaking penalty shootout.
This devastating loss means Nigeria will be absent from the FIFA World Cup for the second consecutive time, following their absence from the 2022 edition in Qatar. As the tournament approaches in June 2026, the FIFA Council met in Doha, Qatar, and announced that the total prize pool for the World Cup will skyrocket to $655 million (₦990 billion), reflecting a staggering 50% increase from 2022.
Every participating team will receive a minimum of $1.5 million for preparation. Once they engage in the tournament, each team is guaranteed an additional $9 million. The breakdown of the prize pool is as follows:
– Champions: $50 million
– Runners-up: $33 million
– 3rd Place: $29 million
– 4th Place: $27 million
– 5th–8th Place: $19 million
– 9th–16th Place: $15 million
– 17th–32nd Place: $11 million
– 33rd–48th Place: $9 million
This means that had the Super Eagles qualified for the World Cup, the NFF would have secured at least $10.5 million (₦15.7 billion).
