Pinnick, who led the NFF from October 2014 to October 2022, was at the helm when Nigeria qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. However, the national team failed to make it to the 2022 tournament in Qatar — a setback that still lingers in the minds of many Nigerian football fans.
Now, as the Super Eagles struggle in the 2026 qualifying campaign, Pinnick has confidently stated that Nigeria would have already booked their place in the expanded 48-team tournament under his leadership.
Speaking on Sunday Oliseh’s “Global Football Insights” show, Pinnick expressed surprise at Nigeria’s current predicament, especially given the increased number of African slots for the 2026 World Cup.
“I didn’t see it coming because ten teams from Africa will qualify,” he said.
He went on to compare Nigeria’s current struggles with the 2018 qualifying campaign, which he described as the toughest group Nigeria ever faced.
“In 2018, we had the toughest group ever; we had all the AFCON winners. Algeria hadn’t lost in over 20 games, Cameroon came in as defending champions, Zambia were champions, and Nigeria was the least considered. But guess what? We qualified with two games to spare, and we didn’t sleep.”
Despite praising current NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, Pinnick insisted that the team’s consecutive failures to reach the World Cup were avoidable.
“For the 2026 World Cup, if I were there, definitely, Nigeria would have qualified,” he said. “There’s no basis for Nigeria not to have qualified.”
Pinnick’s remarks come at a time when Nigeria’s chances of reaching the 2026 World Cup appear increasingly uncertain — a situation that has sparked debate among football stakeholders and fans alike.
Meanwhile, Pinnick has also hinted at plans for the NFF’s Glass House headquarters, suggesting further developments may be underway.