Argentina have won the World Cup three times and strangely enough, each of those triumphs came in years when Nigeria were nowhere to be found at the tournament, Footynaija.com reports.
It happened in 1978, 1986, then in 2022. Now, with the Super Eagles not part of the World Cup second time in a row, football fans have dusted off the bizarre statistic and are wondering if the trend is about to continue.
The conversation picked up again on Tuesday after OneFootball shared the stat with its followers on X. With Nigeria already out of the qualification picture after their playoff defeat to DR Congo on penalties last November, fans are joking that Argentina’s chances of retaining the trophy have just received a boost.
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Argentina’s first World Cup title came on home soil in 1978, when they beat the Netherlands 3-1 after extra time. Mario Kempes was the star of the tournament, finishing as top scorer and leading his country to glory.
Eight years later, Argentina did it again in Mexico. Inspired by Diego Maradona at the peak of his powers, they beat West Germany 3-2 in the final. Along the way came two of the most famous goals in football history against England: the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century. Nigeria did not qualify for either tournament.
Fast forward to Qatar 2022, and the pattern appeared once more. Nigeria missed out, while Lionel Messi finally completed football’s ultimate quest. Argentina defeated France on penalties after an unforgettable final that many consider one of the greatest World Cup matches ever played.
Now the Super Eagles are absent again.
As defending champions, Argentina at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada among the favourites. Messi is still part of the picture, and supporters have already started connecting the dots.
