Nigeria misses $2.5 million FIFA grant after World Cup failure

The Nigerian Super Falcons will miss out on a $2.5 million FIFA preparation grant following their failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. This financial loss follows the team's historic inability to secure a spot in the tournament, ending a streak of appearances in every edition since 1991.

FIFA recently announced an increased preparation funding model, providing $2.5 million to each of the 32 participating national associations to align with the 2026 men’s World Cup. The total preparation fund for the women's tournament is set to reach $80 million. Because Nigeria failed to qualify, they will not receive this grant, which is separate from future prize money and club benefit programs.

The qualification failure occurred during the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco. Despite entering as defending champions, the Super Falcons lost 1-0 to Cameroon in the quarter-finals and subsequently lost 2-1 to South Africa in a play-off. In response to the performance, the Nigeria Football Federation has requested that head coach Justine Madugu and his technical crew step down and has established a fact-finding committee to investigate the team's campaign.