Netizens joke that frequent national grid collapses could leave Nigerians unable to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup if the Super Eagles qualify.

Football fans have turned to humour over Nigeria’s persistent electricity crisis on the social media platform X.

Many netizens joked that if the Super Eagles qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, millions of Nigerians may struggle to watch the matches due to unreliable power supply.
The online banter comes amid worsening challenges in the national power sector.

 Nigeria’s electricity generation recently dropped below the 4,000-megawatt threshold due to persistent gas supply shortages affecting thermal power plants. Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator showed generation at 3,940.53 megawatts.
The national grid has also suffered repeated collapses this year. In January alone, it reportedly failed at least three times, bringing the total number of collapses in 2026 to four so far.

Ikeja Electric, one of the country’s major distribution companies, had earlier issued a public apology to customers, attributing the blackouts to gas supply constraints that have limited generation capacity.

Meanwhile, uncertainty still surrounds Nigeria’s potential involvement in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. FIFA confirmed it is reviewing the matter regarding the Super Eagles’ World Cup fate but has not provided a timeline for a final ruling. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) maintains that no official verdict has been communicated.

The mix of football uncertainty and electricity woes has fueled satire online.

A user identified as @Odbrowser expressed pessimism about Nigeria’s prospects, writing: “Nigeria will never be considered as a replacement too because they won’t have light to watch the World Cup.”