Nigeria will not qualify directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup but has secured a place in the CAF playoffs as one of the four best second-placed teams in their qualifying group. They achieved this by winning their final group match against Benin 4-0, with Victor Osimhen scoring a hat-trick and Frank Onyeka adding a late goal. Despite their win, South Africa's simultaneous 3-0 victory over Rwanda meant Nigeria finished second in their group and missed out on automatic qualification. Now, Nigeria must compete in the CAF playoff mini- tournament against other top runners-up. The winner of this playoff will then advance to the FIFA intercontinental playoffs, which offers additional spots for the World Cup. This gives Nigeria a chance to still qualify for the World Cup, but they face a challenging path through these additional knockout rounds scheduled to start in November 2025.