The 2026 World Cup Group Nigeria Would Have Joined If the Super Eagles Qualified
- Nigeria, ranked 38th in the FIFA rankings, would have been placed in Pot 3 if they qualified for the 2026 World Cup
- As a Pot 3 team, the Super Eagles could have been drawn into any of the 12 groups at the World Cup
- South Africa, who edged Nigeria in the qualifiers, were placed in Group A with Mexico and South Korea
The Super Eagles’ absence from the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues to sting for millions of Nigerian football fans.
With South Africa edging Group C in the CAF qualifiers by just one point, Nigeria narrowly missed out on a place at the expanded 48-team tournament.
Source: Getty Images
As the World Cup draw concluded in New York, one question immediately emerged among supporters: Which group would Nigeria have landed in if they had qualified?
Nigeria’s pot 3 position explained
Before the draw, FIFA confirmed that team placements were based on the Men’s World Ranking, Sky Sports reports.
Nigeria, ranked 38th in the world, comfortably fell into Pot 3, a tier reserved for mid-ranked nations typically placed between 25th and 48th.
Had the Super Eagles qualified, this ranking would have shaped their fate.
As a Pot 3 side, Nigeria would have avoided other Pot 3 teams during the draw but remained eligible to join any of the tournament’s 12 groups.
There were no restrictions that tied the Super Eagles to a specific section of the draw, it was a completely open field.
With Nigeria eliminated, another eligible nation automatically filled their placeholder in Pot 3 during the live draw. Ultimately, the group they might have joined remained entirely dependent on chance.
How the draw could have played out
The 2026 World Cup format includes 12 groups, each consisting of four teams.
Source: Getty Images
Because Pot 3 teams are randomly slotted into these groups, Nigeria theoretically had equal chances of landing in any one of them.
They could have ended up with a powerhouse like Brazil, France or Spain. Alternatively, the Super Eagles might have landed in a more balanced group featuring teams closer to their ranking.
In essence, there was no predetermined destination for the Super Eagles. Their absence simply meant the Pot 3 slot they would have occupied went to another nation, altering the group dynamics without directly pointing to what could have been.
Could Nigeria have gotten South Africa’s group?
While Nigeria had no assigned group, their closest comparison remains South Africa, the team that pipped the Super Eagles to the World Cup ticket.
Drawn into Group A with Mexico, South Korea, and a European playoff team yet to be determined as seen on GOAL, Bafana Bafana showed exactly how enticing (or daunting) the Super Eagles’ path might have looked.
Would Nigeria have preferred a group like that? Would they have been thrown into a tougher section alongside tournament heavyweights? Fans will never know for sure.
What is clear, however, is that their Pot 3 standing placed every scenario firmly on the table.
Ghana lands in tough group
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the official draw for the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup has set the stage for a thrilling tournament across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Ghana will begin their 2026 World Cup journey in Group L, after being drawn against European heavyweights England and Croatia, while Panama completes the group.
Source: Legit.ng
