The Washington Spirit have suffered a major setback after confirming that Super Falcons midfielder Deborah Abiodun will miss the rest of the 2026 NWSL season through injury, Footynaija.com reports.
Spirit announced on Monday via their official club channels that Abiodun has been moved from the 45-day injury list to the season-ending injury list and will undergo surgery this week.
The 22-year-old had featured nine times for the Spirit this season, starting four matches and playing 320 minutes before the injury brought her campaign to an abrupt end.
Abiodun’s latest setback comes at a particularly difficult time for the Nigerian midfielder, who only recently returned from a heartbreaking WAFCON campaign with the Super Falcons.
The midfielder played an increasingly important role as Nigeria progressed through the tournament, starting the final group game against Egypt and the quarter-final against Cameroon.
She also started the decisive World Cup qualification playoff against South Africa, where Nigeria suffered a 2-1 defeat that confirmed their absence from the upcoming 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
That result ended the Super Falcons’ remarkable record of appearing at every edition of the Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 1991.
Abiodun will now turn her full attention to recovery as she faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Her absence will be a blow to the Washington Spirit, who still have several games remaining in their NWSL campaign, with Boston Legacy FC next on the schedule at Audi Field on Sunday, September 13.
