Football · Super Eagles · World Cup
Super Eagles at the World Cup
Six World Cups, three trips to the knockout rounds.
Advertisement
Checked 30 September 2026
Nigeria’s World Cup record
Nigeria have played at six FIFA World Cups, more than most African nations, and reached the round of 16 three times. They have met Argentina five times at World Cups, more than any other opponent, and lost every one of those games by a single goal.
The 1994 debut in the USA is still the high point: coached by Clemens Westerhof and led by captain Stephen Keshi, a team with Rashidi Yekini, Jay-Jay Okocha, Finidi George and Daniel Amokachi topped a group containing Argentina. Against Italy in the round of 16, Emmanuel Amunike’s goal kept Nigeria in front until the 88th minute, before Roberto Baggio equalised and scored the winner in extra time.
In 1998 the Super Eagles beat Spain 3-2 in Nantes, one of the great African World Cup results, and topped their group again. In 2014 Stephen Keshi, now coach, led them to the knockout rounds once more, and in qualifying for 2018 Nigeria became the first African team to book a place in Russia.
| World Cup | Coach | Nigeria’s results | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 USA | Clemens Westerhof | Bulgaria 3-0, Argentina 1-2, Greece 2-0; Italy 1-2 (aet) | Round of 16 (group winners) |
| 1998 France | Bora Milutinović | Spain 3-2, Bulgaria 1-0, Paraguay 1-3; Denmark 1-4 | Round of 16 (group winners) |
| 2002 Korea/Japan | Adegboye Onigbinde | Argentina 0-1, Sweden 1-2, England 0-0 | Group stage |
| 2010 South Africa | Lars Lagerbäck | Argentina 0-1, Greece 1-2, South Korea 2-2 | Group stage |
| 2014 Brazil | Stephen Keshi | Iran 0-0, Bosnia 1-0, Argentina 2-3; France 0-2 | Round of 16 |
| 2018 Russia | Gernot Rohr | Croatia 0-2, Iceland 2-0, Argentina 1-2 | Group stage |
The World Cups Nigeria missed
| World Cup | How Nigeria missed out |
|---|---|
| 2006 Germany | Level on points with Angola in qualifying; Angola went through on head-to-head. |
| 2022 Qatar | 1-1 on aggregate with Ghana in the play-off; Ghana won on away goals. |
| 2026 USA/Canada/Mexico | Lost the CAF play-off final to DR Congo on penalties (1-1, 3-4), Rabat, 16 November 2025. |
Keep reading
Football in Nigeria
Nigeria’s favourite sport and its national teams.Read more
History of Nigerian football
From the barefoot 1949 tour to Olympic gold.Read more
Super Eagles
Nigeria’s men’s team: 3 AFCON titles, 6 World Cups.Read more
AFCON and Olympic football
Three African titles and the 1996 Olympic gold.Read more
Super Eagles stadiums
The MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja and other home grounds.Read more
Super Falcons
Africa’s queens: 10 continental titles.Read more
Nigeria’s youth teams
Golden Eaglets, Flying Eagles, Flamingos and Falconets.Read more
Golden Eaglets (U-17)
Five-time FIFA U-17 world champions.Read more
Flying Eagles (U-20)
Two World Cup finals and the Miracle of Dammam.Read more
Flamingos (women’s U-17)
World Cup bronze in 2022.Read more
Falconets (women’s U-20)
Two World Cup finals, 2010 and 2014.Read more
Nigerian footballers
Kanu, Okocha, Yekini, Osimhen, Oshoala and more.Read more
Nigerians in the Premier League
Weekly tracker: Iwobi, Bassey, Saka, Eze and every Nigerian in the EPL.Read more
Nigerians in Europe
Weekly tracker: Osimhen, Lookman, Ndidi, Ajibade and more.Read more
Rising Stars
The next generation of Nigerian football, updated weekly.Read more
Contact the NFF
Nigeria Football Federation, Abuja.Read more
Quick answers
Nigeria at the World Cup: quick answers
How many times have Nigeria played at the World Cup?
Six: 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2018.
What is Nigeria’s best World Cup result?
The round of 16, reached in 1994, 1998 and 2014. In 1994 they led Italy until the 88th minute before losing 2-1 after extra time.
Did Nigeria qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
No. They lost the CAF play-off final to DR Congo on penalties on 16 November 2025.