Nigeria will miss out on a $2.5 million FIFA preparation grant after the Super Falcons failed to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, adding a financial setback to the national team’s historic absence from the tournament, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.

The funding is part of a new financial distribution model approved by the Bureau of the FIFA Council, which provides each of the 32 participating national associations with $2.5 million to prepare for the competition.

FIFA announced the decision on October 22, confirming that the preparation grant would be increased to match the amount allocated to each participating nation at the 2026 men’s World Cup. The total preparation fund for the women’s tournament will therefore reach $80 million.

The funds are expected to be made available to qualified associations before December 2026, while further details of the tournament’s wider financial distribution arrangements will be discussed at FIFA’s next Council meeting in December.

The financial package also includes prize money, payments through the FIFA Club Benefits Programme and provisions for players. FIFA has further stated that any surplus generated by the tournament will be distributed among participating member associations, with a specific amount reserved for players.

However, Nigeria will not benefit from the preparation grant because the Super Falcons failed to secure a place at the tournament, scheduled to take place in Brazil from June 24 to July 25, 2027.

Super Falcons’ Historic World Cup Absence

Nigeria’s failure to qualify for Brazil 2027 ended the Super Falcons’ record of appearing at every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 1991.

The setback followed a disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, where the Super Falcons entered as defending champions after winning a record-extending 10th continental title in 2025.

Nigeria’s hopes of securing one of Africa’s four automatic World Cup places suffered a major blow on August 9, when the team lost 1-0 to Cameroon in the quarter-finals.

The defeat forced the Super Falcons into the continental play-off route, where they faced South Africa for another opportunity to keep their qualification hopes alive.

However, Banyana Banyana won the decisive encounter 2-1 on August 13, ending Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the tournament in Brazil. The result also brought the Super Falcons’ unprecedented run of World Cup appearances to an end.

The failure to qualify represents a major sporting disappointment for Nigeria, particularly coming less than a year after the team reclaimed the African title.

With the new FIFA funding model offering participating countries substantial financial support for preparations, Nigeria’s absence also means the country will miss out on the $2.5 million grant specifically allocated to teams competing at the 2027 tournament.