World Cup 2026: Alex Iwobi keeps Nigeria’s qualification hopes alive.
The Super Eagles’ playmaker, Alex Iwobi, admitted that they were waiting to see whether the team would still participate in the 2026 World Cup.
Uncertainty hangs over the path of the Super Eagles. The Nigerian playmaker, Alex Iwobi, opened up about the team’s dual objective, as a legal shadow lingers over their participation in the 2026 World Cup. Questioned by SuperSport about a tough choice – to lift the AFCON 2025 trophy or secure his World Cup ticket – the former Arsenal player delivered a nuanced, team-centered answer.
The main issue remains the Sword of Damocles over the world stage. The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) remains hopeful for FIFA intervention after filing an appeal against the Democratic Republic of Congo, but the wait wears on. « We are still waiting, well, we hope we can go to the World Cup, but I think it’s difficult», acknowledged Iwobi, on the eve of his 30th birthday and already a veteran of the 2018 edition.
Facing the dilemma that was posed to him, the attacking midfielder weighed the pros and cons with disarming honesty. « Winning AFCON… it’s a tremendous legacy, it’s something exceptional in a career, a memorable moment », he said, aware of the immortal value of a continental title.
But the Fulham player immediately tempered his remarks by thinking of his teammates. His World Cup experience puts him in a special position. « As I’ve already participated in the World Cup, many players haven’t gone. They would like to say “I want to go to the World Cup,” so I can’t be selfish and tell them to win AFCON and not go to the World Cup. »
The verdict? There isn’t one. « It’s a tough situation. I don’t know. I don’t know. » A double answer that says a lot about the balance to be found between immediate glory and the dream of the world stage, and about the collective mindset that drives the Eagles, suspended between two quests.
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