With no international experience with England, 27-year-old Oladapo Afolayan sets his sights on Nigeria for the 2026 World Cup, while the Super Eagles ironically face a daunting task in securing qualification.
St. Pauli forward Oladapo Afolayan has expressed his desire to represent the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to take place across the United States, Mexico, and Canada in June 2026.
Born in England, Afolayan progressed through Chelsea’s youth ranks before turning professional with England’s National League side Solihull Moors in 2017. His career has included stints at West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers before joining German outfit St. Pauli in January 2023.
The 27-year-old played a pivotal role in St. Pauli’s promotion to the Bundesliga, contributing nine goals and three assists in 31 appearances. In the 2024/2025 season, Afolayan scored two goals and provided one assist in 14 appearances across the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal.
Reflecting on his development in England, Afolayan said, “In the couple of years that I was there, the players – we came through some of the top players in the world and top players in world football because of the set-up, the facilities, the coaching staff. All of them were fantastic and really helped guide us into being not just good footballers but also good men as well.”
With no international history with England, Afolayan has set his sights on Nigeria, stating, “I want to kick on again, play international football. Play for Nigeria at the next World Cup, and hopefully, as long as my performances keep being strong and improving, then I’ll do that,” Afolayan said, reflecting on his ambitions for the future.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s path to the 2026 World Cup remains challenging. The three-time African champions are currently ranked fifth in Group C of Africa’s World Cup qualifiers, with just three points from a possible 12 after four matches. The Super Eagles must secure maximum points in their remaining games to stand a chance of qualifying.
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