Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has revealed a list of four footballers he would have cherished watching during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, placing Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen among them. The tournament kicked off on Thursday, but Osimhen will be absent due to Nigeria’s failure to secure a spot in the competition.
In an interview with La Gazzetta, Benitez highlighted Osimhen alongside Robert Lewandowski, Piotr Zieliński, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as the players he most wanted to see on the World Cup stage. “Too easy: Kvaratskhelia, first and foremost,” the Spanish coach said. “And then Osimhen too, and not just because Napoli holds a special place in my heart. But I must also add Zieliński and Lewandowski, one of the greatest ever.”
Benitez’s comments underscore the high regard in which these players are held, even as their national teams failed to qualify for the global event.