Victor Osimhen’s absence from the 2026 FIFA World Cup has drawn attention from former Liverpool and Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez, who believes the tournament is missing one of football’s biggest attacking talents, Footynaija reports.
The Super Eagles striker will not feature in the competition after Nigeria narrowly failed to secure a place at the finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Despite a strong qualifying campaign, Nigeria finished second in CAF Group C with 17 points, one behind South Africa, forcing them into the playoffs.
The three-time African champions kept their World Cup dream alive with a victory over Gabon in the playoff semi-final. However, their hopes ended in painful fashion when they lost to DR Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff match. The result means Nigeria will miss a second consecutive World Cup after also failing to qualify for Qatar 2022.
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Osimhen, one of Africa’s most celebrated forwards and a key figure for Galatasaray, is yet to make a World Cup appearance. The former Napoli striker wil have to wait until 2030 for a chance to play on football’s biggest stage.
Speaking to La Gazzetta, Benitez was asked which players he wished were at the tournament and immediately mentioned the Nigerian.
“Too easy: Kvaratskhelia, first and foremost,” Benitez 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.”
The Spanish coach also revealed his favourites for the title, highlighting the strength of France’s squad.
“France possesses an impressive array of talent; they’ve even had to leave some players at home, which is astonishing: Dembélé, Barcola, Doué, Thuram, Olise, and Mbappé. Then there’s Spain, for similar reasons, because they have Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, alongside a fabulous midfield with Pedri and Rodri. You can’t ignore Germany, because history counts, and certainly not England with Bellingham or Saka, Gordon or Rice.”
The tournament has already delivered early drama, with Mexico defeating South Africa 2-0 in the opening match, South Korea coming from behind to beat the Czech Republic 2-1, and Canada earning a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the early hours of Saturday, Folarin Balogun netted a brace as co-hosts United States secured a historic 4-1 win over Paraguay.
