AFTER 905 qualifying matches spanning two years, the wait for the largest football fiesta ever is over, as the FIFA World Cup 2026 opens today. It is a touching football party, which, often, fanatical fans have waited for with bated breath. Across the globe, anyone can – and should – join the party.Certainly, this edition promises to be exhilarating, dramatic and controversial. The contention centres around the wars by Russia in Ukraine and the Middle East.Indeed, the ball is rolling with the US decision to deny entry to the Somali FIFA referee, Omar Artan, and accusations by the Iranians that the US withheld tickets allocated to its team’s supporters.Iran, who are in Group G alongside New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, are in the midst of a delicate war with the USA and Israel.FIFA excluded Russia, which hosted the 2018 Finals, from the World Cup after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022.FIFA President Gianni Infantino has appeared with US President Donald Trump on several occasions, including at the 2025 World Club Cup Finals, suggesting that politics is making inroads and influencing football more than ever before.But this seems not to distract from the historic party that gets underway at Azteca Stadium on June 11, when co-hosts Mexico battle South Africa for three points in Group A (8 pm Nigerian time).Altogether, there are 12 groups – A-L – with the finals concluding with the championship game at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on July 19.Australia, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Iraq are also in at the finals.Argentina, the defending champions from Qatar 2022 after beating France on penalties, still have their talisman, Lionel Messi, and play in Group J with Algeria, Jordan and Austria.Not surprisingly, four countries are making their debuts in the finals – Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.As expected, the World Cup has produced scintillating moments and stars in the past. Pele, as a 17-year-old, lit up the World Cup in 1958, scoring a momentous header in the final against the hosts. Pele was the first individual to win three World Cup gold medals – 1958, 1962 and 1970.In World Cup lore, there are significant slots for Eusebio, Ferenc Puskas, Gerd Müller, Carlos Alberto, Dino Zoff, Gordon Banks, Walter Zenga, Michel Platini, Zico, Socrates and Geoff Hurst. In the Mexico ’86 finals, Diego ‘Armando’ Maradona led a phalanx of stars to decimate the field, giving Argentina their second victory at the Mundial. France’s Kylian Mbappé took the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022.For one, the 23rd World Cup Finals are ambitious – make that very ambitious. Not only are they the largest in the history of the beautiful game, but three countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States of America – are jointly staging the event. The logistical challenges, amid trade tensions between the three, can only be imagined.In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 host cities – two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the US.At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Certainly, this edition promises to be exhilarating, dramatic and controversial. The contention centres around the wars by Russia in Ukraine and the Middle East.Indeed, the ball is rolling with the US decision to deny entry to the Somali FIFA referee, Omar Artan, and accusations by the Iranians that the US withheld tickets allocated to its team’s supporters.Iran, who are in Group G alongside New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, are in the midst of a delicate war with the USA and Israel.FIFA excluded Russia, which hosted the 2018 Finals, from the World Cup after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022.FIFA President Gianni Infantino has appeared with US President Donald Trump on several occasions, including at the 2025 World Club Cup Finals, suggesting that politics is making inroads and influencing football more than ever before.But this seems not to distract from the historic party that gets underway at Azteca Stadium on June 11, when co-hosts Mexico battle South Africa for three points in Group A (8 pm Nigerian time).Altogether, there are 12 groups – A-L – with the finals concluding with the championship game at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on July 19.Australia, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Iraq are also in at the finals.Argentina, the defending champions from Qatar 2022 after beating France on penalties, still have their talisman, Lionel Messi, and play in Group J with Algeria, Jordan and Austria.Not surprisingly, four countries are making their debuts in the finals – Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.As expected, the World Cup has produced scintillating moments and stars in the past. Pele, as a 17-year-old, lit up the World Cup in 1958, scoring a momentous header in the final against the hosts. Pele was the first individual to win three World Cup gold medals – 1958, 1962 and 1970.In World Cup lore, there are significant slots for Eusebio, Ferenc Puskas, Gerd Müller, Carlos Alberto, Dino Zoff, Gordon Banks, Walter Zenga, Michel Platini, Zico, Socrates and Geoff Hurst. In the Mexico ’86 finals, Diego ‘Armando’ Maradona led a phalanx of stars to decimate the field, giving Argentina their second victory at the Mundial. France’s Kylian Mbappé took the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022.For one, the 23rd World Cup Finals are ambitious – make that very ambitious. Not only are they the largest in the history of the beautiful game, but three countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States of America – are jointly staging the event. The logistical challenges, amid trade tensions between the three, can only be imagined.In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 host cities – two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the US.At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Indeed, the ball is rolling with the US decision to deny entry to the Somali FIFA referee, Omar Artan, and accusations by the Iranians that the US withheld tickets allocated to its team’s supporters.Iran, who are in Group G alongside New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, are in the midst of a delicate war with the USA and Israel.FIFA excluded Russia, which hosted the 2018 Finals, from the World Cup after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022.FIFA President Gianni Infantino has appeared with US President Donald Trump on several occasions, including at the 2025 World Club Cup Finals, suggesting that politics is making inroads and influencing football more than ever before.But this seems not to distract from the historic party that gets underway at Azteca Stadium on June 11, when co-hosts Mexico battle South Africa for three points in Group A (8 pm Nigerian time).Altogether, there are 12 groups – A-L – with the finals concluding with the championship game at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on July 19.Australia, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Iraq are also in at the finals.Argentina, the defending champions from Qatar 2022 after beating France on penalties, still have their talisman, Lionel Messi, and play in Group J with Algeria, Jordan and Austria.Not surprisingly, four countries are making their debuts in the finals – Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.As expected, the World Cup has produced scintillating moments and stars in the past. Pele, as a 17-year-old, lit up the World Cup in 1958, scoring a momentous header in the final against the hosts. Pele was the first individual to win three World Cup gold medals – 1958, 1962 and 1970.In World Cup lore, there are significant slots for Eusebio, Ferenc Puskas, Gerd Müller, Carlos Alberto, Dino Zoff, Gordon Banks, Walter Zenga, Michel Platini, Zico, Socrates and Geoff Hurst. In the Mexico ’86 finals, Diego ‘Armando’ Maradona led a phalanx of stars to decimate the field, giving Argentina their second victory at the Mundial. France’s Kylian Mbappé took the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022.For one, the 23rd World Cup Finals are ambitious – make that very ambitious. Not only are they the largest in the history of the beautiful game, but three countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States of America – are jointly staging the event. The logistical challenges, amid trade tensions between the three, can only be imagined.In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 host cities – two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the US.At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Iran, who are in Group G alongside New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, are in the midst of a delicate war with the USA and Israel.FIFA excluded Russia, which hosted the 2018 Finals, from the World Cup after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022.FIFA President Gianni Infantino has appeared with US President Donald Trump on several occasions, including at the 2025 World Club Cup Finals, suggesting that politics is making inroads and influencing football more than ever before.But this seems not to distract from the historic party that gets underway at Azteca Stadium on June 11, when co-hosts Mexico battle South Africa for three points in Group A (8 pm Nigerian time).Altogether, there are 12 groups – A-L – with the finals concluding with the championship game at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on July 19.Australia, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Iraq are also in at the finals.Argentina, the defending champions from Qatar 2022 after beating France on penalties, still have their talisman, Lionel Messi, and play in Group J with Algeria, Jordan and Austria.Not surprisingly, four countries are making their debuts in the finals – Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.As expected, the World Cup has produced scintillating moments and stars in the past. Pele, as a 17-year-old, lit up the World Cup in 1958, scoring a momentous header in the final against the hosts. Pele was the first individual to win three World Cup gold medals – 1958, 1962 and 1970.In World Cup lore, there are significant slots for Eusebio, Ferenc Puskas, Gerd Müller, Carlos Alberto, Dino Zoff, Gordon Banks, Walter Zenga, Michel Platini, Zico, Socrates and Geoff Hurst. In the Mexico ’86 finals, Diego ‘Armando’ Maradona led a phalanx of stars to decimate the field, giving Argentina their second victory at the Mundial. France’s Kylian Mbappé took the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022.For one, the 23rd World Cup Finals are ambitious – make that very ambitious. Not only are they the largest in the history of the beautiful game, but three countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States of America – are jointly staging the event. The logistical challenges, amid trade tensions between the three, can only be imagined.In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 host cities – two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the US.At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. FIFA excluded Russia, which hosted the 2018 Finals, from the World Cup after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022.FIFA President Gianni Infantino has appeared with US President Donald Trump on several occasions, including at the 2025 World Club Cup Finals, suggesting that politics is making inroads and influencing football more than ever before.But this seems not to distract from the historic party that gets underway at Azteca Stadium on June 11, when co-hosts Mexico battle South Africa for three points in Group A (8 pm Nigerian time).Altogether, there are 12 groups – A-L – with the finals concluding with the championship game at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on July 19.Australia, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Iraq are also in at the finals.Argentina, the defending champions from Qatar 2022 after beating France on penalties, still have their talisman, Lionel Messi, and play in Group J with Algeria, Jordan and Austria.Not surprisingly, four countries are making their debuts in the finals – Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.As expected, the World Cup has produced scintillating moments and stars in the past. Pele, as a 17-year-old, lit up the World Cup in 1958, scoring a momentous header in the final against the hosts. Pele was the first individual to win three World Cup gold medals – 1958, 1962 and 1970.In World Cup lore, there are significant slots for Eusebio, Ferenc Puskas, Gerd Müller, Carlos Alberto, Dino Zoff, Gordon Banks, Walter Zenga, Michel Platini, Zico, Socrates and Geoff Hurst. In the Mexico ’86 finals, Diego ‘Armando’ Maradona led a phalanx of stars to decimate the field, giving Argentina their second victory at the Mundial. France’s Kylian Mbappé took the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022.For one, the 23rd World Cup Finals are ambitious – make that very ambitious. Not only are they the largest in the history of the beautiful game, but three countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States of America – are jointly staging the event. The logistical challenges, amid trade tensions between the three, can only be imagined.In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 host cities – two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the US.At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has appeared with US President Donald Trump on several occasions, including at the 2025 World Club Cup Finals, suggesting that politics is making inroads and influencing football more than ever before.But this seems not to distract from the historic party that gets underway at Azteca Stadium on June 11, when co-hosts Mexico battle South Africa for three points in Group A (8 pm Nigerian time).Altogether, there are 12 groups – A-L – with the finals concluding with the championship game at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on July 19.Australia, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Iraq are also in at the finals.Argentina, the defending champions from Qatar 2022 after beating France on penalties, still have their talisman, Lionel Messi, and play in Group J with Algeria, Jordan and Austria.Not surprisingly, four countries are making their debuts in the finals – Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.As expected, the World Cup has produced scintillating moments and stars in the past. Pele, as a 17-year-old, lit up the World Cup in 1958, scoring a momentous header in the final against the hosts. Pele was the first individual to win three World Cup gold medals – 1958, 1962 and 1970.In World Cup lore, there are significant slots for Eusebio, Ferenc Puskas, Gerd Müller, Carlos Alberto, Dino Zoff, Gordon Banks, Walter Zenga, Michel Platini, Zico, Socrates and Geoff Hurst. In the Mexico ’86 finals, Diego ‘Armando’ Maradona led a phalanx of stars to decimate the field, giving Argentina their second victory at the Mundial. France’s Kylian Mbappé took the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022.For one, the 23rd World Cup Finals are ambitious – make that very ambitious. Not only are they the largest in the history of the beautiful game, but three countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States of America – are jointly staging the event. The logistical challenges, amid trade tensions between the three, can only be imagined.In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 host cities – two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the US.At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. But this seems not to distract from the historic party that gets underway at Azteca Stadium on June 11, when co-hosts Mexico battle South Africa for three points in Group A (8 pm Nigerian time).Altogether, there are 12 groups – A-L – with the finals concluding with the championship game at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on July 19.Australia, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Iraq are also in at the finals.Argentina, the defending champions from Qatar 2022 after beating France on penalties, still have their talisman, Lionel Messi, and play in Group J with Algeria, Jordan and Austria.Not surprisingly, four countries are making their debuts in the finals – Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.As expected, the World Cup has produced scintillating moments and stars in the past. Pele, as a 17-year-old, lit up the World Cup in 1958, scoring a momentous header in the final against the hosts. Pele was the first individual to win three World Cup gold medals – 1958, 1962 and 1970.In World Cup lore, there are significant slots for Eusebio, Ferenc Puskas, Gerd Müller, Carlos Alberto, Dino Zoff, Gordon Banks, Walter Zenga, Michel Platini, Zico, Socrates and Geoff Hurst. In the Mexico ’86 finals, Diego ‘Armando’ Maradona led a phalanx of stars to decimate the field, giving Argentina their second victory at the Mundial. France’s Kylian Mbappé took the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022.For one, the 23rd World Cup Finals are ambitious – make that very ambitious. Not only are they the largest in the history of the beautiful game, but three countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States of America – are jointly staging the event. The logistical challenges, amid trade tensions between the three, can only be imagined.In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 host cities – two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the US.At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Altogether, there are 12 groups – A-L – with the finals concluding with the championship game at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on July 19.Australia, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Iraq are also in at the finals.Argentina, the defending champions from Qatar 2022 after beating France on penalties, still have their talisman, Lionel Messi, and play in Group J with Algeria, Jordan and Austria.Not surprisingly, four countries are making their debuts in the finals – Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.As expected, the World Cup has produced scintillating moments and stars in the past. Pele, as a 17-year-old, lit up the World Cup in 1958, scoring a momentous header in the final against the hosts. Pele was the first individual to win three World Cup gold medals – 1958, 1962 and 1970.In World Cup lore, there are significant slots for Eusebio, Ferenc Puskas, Gerd Müller, Carlos Alberto, Dino Zoff, Gordon Banks, Walter Zenga, Michel Platini, Zico, Socrates and Geoff Hurst. In the Mexico ’86 finals, Diego ‘Armando’ Maradona led a phalanx of stars to decimate the field, giving Argentina their second victory at the Mundial. France’s Kylian Mbappé took the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022.For one, the 23rd World Cup Finals are ambitious – make that very ambitious. Not only are they the largest in the history of the beautiful game, but three countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States of America – are jointly staging the event. The logistical challenges, amid trade tensions between the three, can only be imagined.In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 host cities – two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the US.At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Australia, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Iraq are also in at the finals.Argentina, the defending champions from Qatar 2022 after beating France on penalties, still have their talisman, Lionel Messi, and play in Group J with Algeria, Jordan and Austria.Not surprisingly, four countries are making their debuts in the finals – Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.As expected, the World Cup has produced scintillating moments and stars in the past. Pele, as a 17-year-old, lit up the World Cup in 1958, scoring a momentous header in the final against the hosts. Pele was the first individual to win three World Cup gold medals – 1958, 1962 and 1970.In World Cup lore, there are significant slots for Eusebio, Ferenc Puskas, Gerd Müller, Carlos Alberto, Dino Zoff, Gordon Banks, Walter Zenga, Michel Platini, Zico, Socrates and Geoff Hurst. In the Mexico ’86 finals, Diego ‘Armando’ Maradona led a phalanx of stars to decimate the field, giving Argentina their second victory at the Mundial. France’s Kylian Mbappé took the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022.For one, the 23rd World Cup Finals are ambitious – make that very ambitious. Not only are they the largest in the history of the beautiful game, but three countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States of America – are jointly staging the event. The logistical challenges, amid trade tensions between the three, can only be imagined.In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 host cities – two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the US.At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Argentina, the defending champions from Qatar 2022 after beating France on penalties, still have their talisman, Lionel Messi, and play in Group J with Algeria, Jordan and Austria.Not surprisingly, four countries are making their debuts in the finals – Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.As expected, the World Cup has produced scintillating moments and stars in the past. Pele, as a 17-year-old, lit up the World Cup in 1958, scoring a momentous header in the final against the hosts. Pele was the first individual to win three World Cup gold medals – 1958, 1962 and 1970.In World Cup lore, there are significant slots for Eusebio, Ferenc Puskas, Gerd Müller, Carlos Alberto, Dino Zoff, Gordon Banks, Walter Zenga, Michel Platini, Zico, Socrates and Geoff Hurst. In the Mexico ’86 finals, Diego ‘Armando’ Maradona led a phalanx of stars to decimate the field, giving Argentina their second victory at the Mundial. France’s Kylian Mbappé took the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022.For one, the 23rd World Cup Finals are ambitious – make that very ambitious. Not only are they the largest in the history of the beautiful game, but three countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States of America – are jointly staging the event. The logistical challenges, amid trade tensions between the three, can only be imagined.In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 host cities – two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the US.At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Not surprisingly, four countries are making their debuts in the finals – Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.As expected, the World Cup has produced scintillating moments and stars in the past. Pele, as a 17-year-old, lit up the World Cup in 1958, scoring a momentous header in the final against the hosts. Pele was the first individual to win three World Cup gold medals – 1958, 1962 and 1970.In World Cup lore, there are significant slots for Eusebio, Ferenc Puskas, Gerd Müller, Carlos Alberto, Dino Zoff, Gordon Banks, Walter Zenga, Michel Platini, Zico, Socrates and Geoff Hurst. In the Mexico ’86 finals, Diego ‘Armando’ Maradona led a phalanx of stars to decimate the field, giving Argentina their second victory at the Mundial. France’s Kylian Mbappé took the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022.For one, the 23rd World Cup Finals are ambitious – make that very ambitious. Not only are they the largest in the history of the beautiful game, but three countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States of America – are jointly staging the event. The logistical challenges, amid trade tensions between the three, can only be imagined.In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 host cities – two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the US.At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. As expected, the World Cup has produced scintillating moments and stars in the past. Pele, as a 17-year-old, lit up the World Cup in 1958, scoring a momentous header in the final against the hosts. Pele was the first individual to win three World Cup gold medals – 1958, 1962 and 1970.In World Cup lore, there are significant slots for Eusebio, Ferenc Puskas, Gerd Müller, Carlos Alberto, Dino Zoff, Gordon Banks, Walter Zenga, Michel Platini, Zico, Socrates and Geoff Hurst. In the Mexico ’86 finals, Diego ‘Armando’ Maradona led a phalanx of stars to decimate the field, giving Argentina their second victory at the Mundial. France’s Kylian Mbappé took the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022.For one, the 23rd World Cup Finals are ambitious – make that very ambitious. Not only are they the largest in the history of the beautiful game, but three countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States of America – are jointly staging the event. The logistical challenges, amid trade tensions between the three, can only be imagined.In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 host cities – two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the US.At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. In World Cup lore, there are significant slots for Eusebio, Ferenc Puskas, Gerd Müller, Carlos Alberto, Dino Zoff, Gordon Banks, Walter Zenga, Michel Platini, Zico, Socrates and Geoff Hurst. In the Mexico ’86 finals, Diego ‘Armando’ Maradona led a phalanx of stars to decimate the field, giving Argentina their second victory at the Mundial. France’s Kylian Mbappé took the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022.For one, the 23rd World Cup Finals are ambitious – make that very ambitious. Not only are they the largest in the history of the beautiful game, but three countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States of America – are jointly staging the event. The logistical challenges, amid trade tensions between the three, can only be imagined.In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 host cities – two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the US.At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. For one, the 23rd World Cup Finals are ambitious – make that very ambitious. Not only are they the largest in the history of the beautiful game, but three countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States of America – are jointly staging the event. The logistical challenges, amid trade tensions between the three, can only be imagined.In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 host cities – two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the US.At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 host cities – two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the US.At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. At its inception in 1930, the World Cup was an invitational with 13 teams. Designed as a quadrennial event, things changed rapidly in 1934 when the organisers, FIFA, expanded the finals to 16 teams.This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. This held up for 48 years until 24 teams filed out for the Spain ’82 tournament.But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. But for the first time, there are 48 finalists, up from the 32-team finals that commenced in France ’98. This is a massive expansion.In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. In another first, 10 teams will represent Africa, the second top continent after Europe’s 16. Nine teams qualified directly from the qualifiers; DR Congo reached the World Cup via the Intercontinental Playoffs.This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. This is the World Cup made of dreams – and vast financial rewards. FIFA has increased the jackpot to $770 million from the $440 million in Qatar 2022. Every finalist is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. FIFA has set aside $355 million for clubs with players in the tournament.The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. The winners will receive $50 million from FIFA. The cost to host the finals this time is estimated at $12 billion, far lower than the $200 billion Qatar spent to host the 2022 finals, largely due to massive infrastructure projects completed in advance.Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Incidentally, some siblings will either be turning out for the same countries or different countries. Désiré Doué represents France; his brother, Guéla, turns out for the Ivory Coast. Iñaki Williams is in the Ghana squad; Nico Williams is in for Spain. John Souttar plays for Scotland, and his brother Harry for Australia.As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. As usual, things get more exciting in the knockout rounds, which commence on June 28.The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. The reality sinks in deep when the past champions are counted.Related NewsNigerians count losses as World Cup begins without EaglesRetirees stage protest, demand N32,000 pension benefits, othersFG approves guidelines to regulate honorary doctorate awardsFor 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. For 2026, the usual suspects to win are a narrow field. Only eight countries have been victorious; all eight are contesting for honours again at these finals.Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Brazil, the record five-time champions, will play in Group C. Their last championship was at Korea/Japan 2002. The Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, will lead the Seleção out.Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Not far behind Brazil, Germany and Italy have won four World Cups each; Argentina has notched three wins and France, two. Uruguay, the inaugural champions at home in 1930 and in Brazil 20 years later, have two World Cup titles. England have a solitary title, which they won on home soil in 1966. Spain triumphed at South Africa 2010.It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. It will be foolhardy to put it past any of the eight to be victorious again on July 19.For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. For 2026, the dark horses include the Netherlands, the losing finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, Croatia and Belgium.On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. On a positive note, Cameroon and Senegal were the first African teams to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England at Italia ’90; Senegal lost 1-0 to Turkey in 2002 after extra time. Morocco went one better four years ago, losing to France in the second semi-finals.Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Is it Africa’s time? Indeed, Morocco and Senegal can go far. But time has a way of making that known.… Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. … Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. … Italy, Nigeria and other notable absenteesAS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. AS the World Cup 2026 starts in Canada, Mexico and the United States, spare a thought for the notable absentees from the global football party.The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. The most notable are Italy. The Italians were the first team to retain the World Cup title in 1938 after their initial success at the 1934 finals hosted by the Azzurris.Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Italy also won the World Cup in 1982 in Spain. Their last victory was in Germany in 2006, beating France on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Yet, Italy have suffered three consecutive absences from the finals – they failed to make the 2018, 2022 and now the 2026 finals despite fielding Gianluigi Donnarumma and other global stars in the qualifiers.For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. For Nigeria, the closest it will get to the World Cup this time around is a quartet of its superstar singers, who will perform at the World Cup. Burna Boy, Davido, Rema and Ayra Starr will represent Nigeria’s interests.Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Nigeria, three-time African champions, are missing out on consecutive World Cup Finals. This is scripted badly. Ghana eliminated Nigeria on the away goals rule in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers.Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Unfortunately, Nigeria did not learn from that. So, it handled the 2026 qualifiers with the usual lethargic approach. It proved costly.The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. The Super Eagles were miserable in the qualifiers. They had a lifeline in the continental playoffs against DR Congo, but they lost on penalties.The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. The NFF tried to reverse the situation by petitioning FIFA to disqualify the victors on technicalities, alleging violations of citizenship rules. But these are not Nigerian elections; that effort failed.It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. It was devastating for a team that made its debut at USA ’94 and followed up at France ’98 and Korea/Japan 2002.Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Nigeria missed out to Angola for the Germany 2006 qualifiers, but regained the momentum by qualifying for the next three finals – South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Cameroon, a top African team with eight appearances, also failed to reach the finals in the Americas.The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. The Chipolopolos of Zambia are also in this category.Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Apart from Italy, Denmark, who won the European Championships in 1992, lost out. Hungary, Romania and Poland did not qualify. In South America, Chile missed out.Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner. Fortunately for the absentees, 2030 will soon be around the corner.