Rio Ngumoha has revealed that winning the World Cup is the defining ambition of his young career, with the Liverpool teenager yet to commit his international future to any nation at senior level, Footynaija.com reports.
Ngumoha, 17, has had a remarkable breakthrough season at Anfield. Born in Newham, east London, to a Nigerian father and Guadeloupean mother, the left winger joined Liverpool from Chelsea in the summer of 2024 and has since shattered several of the club’s long-standing records.
He became Liverpool’s youngest-ever goalscorer when he curled in a 100th-minute winner against Newcastle United on his Premier League debut in August, and followed that by becoming the club’s youngest-ever appearance in the Champions League, coming off the bench against Atletico Madrid at just 17 years and 19 days old.
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Ngumoha holds Nigerian and French nationalities through his parents and remains eligible for the Super Eagles despite featuring for England at youth level up to under-19.
‘Celebrating with your nation’
Speaking to Sky Sports, the winger was direct about where his grandest ambitions lie.
“For club, Champions League and Premier League as well,” he said.
“I think the main one is World Cup. Celebrating with your nation internationally, being the best country in the world, that’s crazy.”
Ngumoha has made no commitment at senior level, and with Nigeria having missed the 2026 World Cup after a penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in the CAF playoff final last November, the Super Eagles will be desperate to tie down emerging talents of his quality ahead of the 2030 qualifying cycle.
At 17, with a professional contract at one of Europe’s premier clubs and records already to his name, Ngumoha has time on his side. Whether Nigeria can convince him to choose the green and white before England move to secure him permanently remains the critical question.
