Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil will cost the country $2.5m in preparation funding from football’s world governing body, FIFA, Naijafooty.com reports.
The funding is part of a new financial package approved by FIFA for the 32 countries that will participate in the tournament from June 24 to July 25, 2027. Each qualifying nation will receive $2.5m to support preparations, taking the total allocation to $80m. The amount represents an increase in support for women’s teams, bringing their preparation allowance in line with that of countries competing at the 2026 men’s World Cup.
The Super Falcons’ failure to secure a ticket to Brazil means the Nigeria Football Federation will not benefit from the grant. FIFA is yet to announce the full prize-money and distribution arrangements for the competition, with further details expected at its Council meeting in December. Consequently, the total financial benefits Nigeria will miss remain unclear.
Nigeria’s absence from the tournament followed a disappointing qualification campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The Super Falcons, who entered the competition as defending champions, lost 1-0 to Cameroon in the quarter-finals on August 8 before suffering a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in a subsequent play-off on August 13. The results ended the team’s record of appearing at every edition of the Women’s World Cup since its inauguration in 1991.
Following the setback, the NFF asked head coach Justine Madugu and his technical crew to step down and established a fact-finding committee to examine the team’s performance and broader challenges affecting the country’s national sides. The missed funding adds a financial consequence to Nigeria’s failure to qualify, while the Super Falcons must now turn their attention to rebuilding ahead of future international assignments.
