Tochukwu Nnadi, a midfielder for Marseille, stated that his main goal before being called up for the first time was to play for Nigeria in the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
After losing to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a penalty shootout in the African playoff final in November 2025, Nigeria’s hopes of making it to the tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States were dashed.
It was unexpected that Nnadi was included in the Super Eagles’ final roster for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where he made his senior debut against Uganda in a group stage game.
I had dreams of playing in the World Cup, not the Afcon. It was a surprise for me. I was happy,” Nnadi stated during an interview on AySuga Channel.
He recounted the moment he received his first Super Eagles call-up, noting that it occurred during a personal phone conversation with his father.
He added, “I was on a call with my dad when the invitation came, but I wanted to be in the World Cup because I told my friends two years ago that I had to be at the 2026 World Cup.
“Participating in the Afcon was wonderful, but I aspire for more.”
This summer, Nnadi made history by becoming the only player to start every Nigerian game against Zimbabwe, Jamaica, Poland, and Portugal, increasing his total number of caps to five.
A key member of the Flying Eagles team that participated in the 2023 FIFA U20 World Cup was the former Botev Plovdiv player.
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