Tochukwu Nnadi, the Marseille midfielder, has revealed that his ultimate ambition before earning his first call-up to the senior national team was to represent Nigeria at the FIFA World Cup, not the Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, were dashed after a penalty shootout defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the African playoffs final back in November 2025.
Nnadi’s surprise inclusion in the Super Eagles’ final squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco saw him make his senior debut in a group-stage encounter against Uganda. Reflecting on his journey, he shared, “My dream was always to play in the World Cup, not the AFCON. The call-up took me by surprise, but I was thrilled.”
During an interview on AySuga Channel, Nnadi recounted the moment he received his first Super Eagles invitation. He was on the phone with his father when the news came through. “I was talking to my dad when the invitation arrived. But I had my heart set on the World Cup because I had told my friends two years earlier that I would be at the 2026 tournament,” he explained.
He added, “Playing in the AFCON was a fantastic experience, but I want more. I aim for the highest level.”
Nnadi stood out over the summer as the only player to start every match for Nigeria against Zimbabwe, Jamaica, Poland, and Portugal, bringing his total international caps to five. The former Botev Plovdiv player was also a key member of the Flying Eagles squad that competed in the 2023 FIFA U20 World Cup.