2026 World Cup: Nigeria’s Fate Now With FIFA Legal Bodies, Says NSC Chairman After Tinubu Meeting

2026 World Cup: Nigeria’s Fate Now With FIFA Legal Bodies, Says NSC Chairman After Tinubu Meeting

By BSN Sports 

Nigeria’s hopes of returning to contention for the 2026 FIFA World Cup now rest solely on a pending legal review within world football’s governing structures, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has said.

Dikko spoke on Thursday after a high-level meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where senior sports officials briefed the President on developments surrounding the country’s unresolved case before FIFA.

According to the NSC chairman, Nigeria’s campaign on the field has effectively concluded, shifting attention entirely to the outcome of legal proceedings initiated by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

“The World Cup is a closed chapter for us competitively, but the legal matter is pending,” Dikko said. “The relevant independent bodies within FIFA will decide.”

The NFF had filed a protest alleging that Democratic Republic of the Congo fielded ineligible players during the decisive African play-off final. The complaint is currently under consideration by FIFA’s judicial bodies.

Despite acknowledging that Nigeria’s qualification campaign has ended on sporting grounds, Dikko struck a cautiously optimistic tone. He indicated that sports authorities remain hopeful of a favourable ruling that could potentially alter the outcome of the qualification process.

Officials are particularly optimistic about the prospect of reinstatement into the intercontinental play-offs scheduled for March, a development that would reopen Nigeria’s pathway to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Dikko added that the nation’s sports leadership stands ready to respond swiftly should FIFA rule in Nigeria’s favour, signalling preparedness for all possible scenarios as the legal process unfolds.

For now, however, the country’s World Cup ambitions hinge not on results on the pitch, but on the verdict of FIFA’s independent judicial bodies.