Nigeria could miss out on approximately ₦3.37 billion in FIFA preparation funding following the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The reported $2.5 million grant forms part of FIFA’s financial support package for national associations participating in the tournament, scheduled to run from June 24 to July 25, 2027.
Under the proposed funding arrangement outlined in the report, each of the 32 participating national associations is expected to receive $2.5 million to support preparations for the competition. The allocation would amount to $80 million across all participating teams.
The preparation grant is separate from tournament prize money and other financial benefits available to participating national associations, players and clubs.
Nigeria’s failure to qualify means the country will not receive the preparation grant reserved for teams participating in the tournament. Further details of the competition’s financial arrangements are expected to emerge as FIFA finalises its plans for Brazil 2027.
FIFA Expands Financial Support for Women’s Football
The preparation funding forms part of FIFA’s broader efforts to increase investment in women’s football and strengthen the financial support available to participating national teams.
In addition to preparation grants, the tournament’s financial framework includes prize money, payments to players and clubs through the FIFA Club Benefits Programme, and other distributions associated with the competition.
FIFA has also outlined arrangements for distributing any tournament surplus among participating member associations, with a designated share reserved for players.
However, the full details of these additional financial provisions have yet to be confirmed. Consequently, the reported $2.5 million preparation grant represents the principal identified allocation Nigeria stands to miss because of its failure to qualify.
How the Super Falcons Missed Out on Brazil 2027
Nigeria’s failure to qualify followed a disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The Super Falcons entered the competition as defending champions and Africa’s most successful women’s national team, having won the continental title a record 10 times.
However, their campaign suffered a major setback on August 8, when they lost 1-0 to Cameroon in the quarter-finals.
The defeat ended Nigeria’s hopes of securing one of Africa’s four automatic qualification places for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The team subsequently had another opportunity to qualify through a play-off against South Africa. However, Nigeria lost 2-1 to Banyana Banyana on August 13, ending its campaign for a place at the tournament.
The outcome marked a historic setback for the Super Falcons, who had appeared at every previous edition of the Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 1991.
Nigeria’s absence from Brazil will end that unbroken record and deprive the country of the opportunity to compete on the global stage in 2027.
The disappointment comes after the Super Falcons secured a record-extending 10th WAFCON title in 2025, highlighting the contrast between their continental success and their failure to qualify for the next World Cup.
