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World Cup Spectacle Poorer Without Victor Osimhen, Claims Veteran Manager Rafael Benitez

Posted : 15 June 2026

Respected football manager Rafael Benitez has expressed deep regret over Victor Osimhen's absence from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The veteran manager stated that the tournament loses part of its unique allure without the presence of the elite Nigerian forward. This widespread disappointment stems from Nigeria's agonizing failure to secure a qualification ticket for the global showpiece in North America.

The Super Eagles missed out on automatic qualification from CAF Group C, finishing just one point behind rivals South Africa. The three-time African champions subsequently advanced to the continental playoffs, where they successfully defeated Gabon in the semi-final stage. However, their ultimate World Cup ambitions were completely shattered by DR Congo during a tense penalty shootout in the final.

Speaking to Italian news outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, Benitez placed the Galatasaray striker in an elite category of missing marquee players. He noted that the global audience misses a great spectacle when world-class talents sit out the tournament due to qualification heartbreaks. The former Napoli head coach stated that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Robert Lewandowski, and Piotr Zieliński are similarly massive losses for the tournament.

Osimhen recently secured the Turkish Süper Lig Player of the Season award after guiding Galatasaray to magnificent domestic glory. Despite his incredible individual accolades and formidable European goalscoring reputation, the 27-year-old forward has never played on the World Cup stage. This continuous international absence remains a major source of frustration for passionate Nigerian football enthusiasts worldwide.

The Spanish tactician also analysed the leading football nations positioned to lift the coveted trophy this summer. He highly tipped France due to their astonishing squad depth, while heavily praising Spain's explosive young generation featuring Lamine Yamal. Furthermore, Benitez refused to rule out traditional European powerhouses Germany and England from mounting a serious title challenge.

 

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