Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has expressed hope that Nigeria can still qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite the uncertainty surrounding the team’s campaign.

The Fulham player admitted that the national team is currently in a waiting position as Nigeria hopes for a possible lifeline to the tournament, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Speaking in an interview, Iwobi reflected on the emotional weight of possibly missing the World Cup and was asked whether he would prefer to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations or qualify for the World Cup.

The 29-year-old, who represented Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, said the decision was not an easy one and placed the focus on his teammates rather than himself.

“I mean we’re still waiting, well hopefully we can go to the World Cup, but I feel it’s a tough one. It’s a tough one because winning AFCON is like… It’s a great legacy, it’s a great thing to have like in your career, a memorable moment,” Iwobi said.

“But then at the same time, because I’ve been to the World Cup already, a lot of the players haven’t been. They would like to say ‘I want to go to the World Cup,’ so I can’t be selfish and say win the AFCON and for my teammates to not go to the World Cup. So it’s a tough one. I don’t know. I don’t know.”

Iwobi’s cautious optimism reflects the general mood within the Nigeria Football Federation, which is awaiting a decision from FIFA following a petition over Nigeria’s World Cup qualification play-off defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“We are still waiting. Hopefully we can go to the World Cup,” the midfielder added.

Nigeria’s hopes were dealt a blow after a penalty shootout loss to DR Congo at the Moulay Hassan Stadium in November. However, the Super Eagles’ qualification chances may not yet be over.

The NFF has submitted a formal complaint to FIFA, alleging that DR Congo fielded up to six ineligible players during the decisive match. The case is based on what the federation describes as a “dual nationality trap”, arguing that while FIFA rules allow nationality switches, the Congolese constitution does not permit dual citizenship.

NFF General Secretary, Dr Sanusi Mohammed, has stated that the federation believes it has a strong case.

Despite the uncertainty, Nigeria remain one of Africa’s most talented teams and recently finished third at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, keeping hopes alive for a return to the World Cup stage.

Super Bowl LX will feature the New England Patriots facing the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

The Patriots punched their ticket to Super Bowl LX with a 10-7 win over the Broncos in the AFC Championship. The two teams combined for the second-lowest point total in AFC title game history (Dolphins 14-0 over Jets in 1982).

The Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl for an NFL-record 12th time, and to get there, Drake Maye did something that Tom Brady never did: He won a playoff game in Denver. Brady went 0-3 in his career in the Mile High city with two of those losses coming in an AFC title game. 

On Seattle’s end, the Seahawks earned their way to the Super Bowl by beating the Rams in a 31-27 thriller. Sam Darnold threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns in the win. The Seahawks are now headed to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in franchise history and the first time since the 2014 season when they faced the Patriots. 

Madden NFL 26 Super Bowl 2026 simulation: Seahawks and Patriots are in for another instant classic

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In that game, Russell Wilson was famously picked off by Malcolm Butler at the 1-yard line with under 30 seconds left to play in a game that the Patriots ended up winning 28-24. 

Super Bowl LX will feature the AFC’s highest-scoring offense going up against a Seahawks defense that gave up the fewest points in the NFL this year. Not only that, but the matchup on the other side of the ball should also be solid with the NFL’s third-highest scoring offense in Seattle going up against a Patriots defense that surrendered the fourth-fewest points in the league this year. 

A great AFC offense vs. a great NFC defense? A great AFC defense vs. a great NFC offense? We could be in for another classic, just like the two teams gave us in Super Bowl XLIX. 

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the full playoff schedule.

Sunday, Feb. 8

• Patriots vs. Seahawks — Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California), 6:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

Championship Sunday

Sunday, Jan. 25

AFC Championship

• (2) Patriots 10-7 over (1) Broncos. This was a dominant performance by a New England defense that has now played three straight dominant games in the playoffs. The Broncos scored on their second possession of the game, but after that, the Patriots’ defense shut Denver down. The biggest play of the game came in the second quarter when the Patriots forced a Jarrett Stidham fumble that New England recovered at Denver’s 12-yard line. Drake Maye scored on a 6-yard run just two plays later to provide the Patriots’ only touchdown of the game. Maye didn’t put up huge numbers, but he came up big with his legs: Not only did he score, but he also iced the win with a 7-yard run on third-and-5 with under two minutes left to play in the fourth quarter. 

NFC Championship

• (1) Seahawks 31-27 over (5) Rams. With a trip to the Super Bowl on the line Sam Darnold came up big for the Seahawks. Darnold threw for a season-high 346 yards along with three touchdowns to propel Seattle to the win. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has been Darnold’s favorite weapon all season, had another huge game. JSN caught 10 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown. The Seahawks defense struggled some against Matthew Stafford, but the unit also came up with a huge stop on a fourth-down play from Seattle’s 6-yard line in the fourth quarter that essentially sealed the win. 

Divisional Round results

Saturday, Jan. 17

• (1) Broncos 33-30 (OT) over (6) Bills. The Broncos have had one of the best defenses in the NFL all year and Josh Allen found out firsthand why they’re so good. The Bills turned the ball over five times with four of those coming from Allen. The Bills QB threw an interception in overtime that set up Denver’s game-winning drive. Bo Nix also came up big for the Broncos, throwing for 279 yards and three touchdowns in the win. 
• (1) Seahawks 41-6 over (6) 49ers. Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and this game was essentially over after that. The Seahawks defense absolutely suffocated the 49ers, forcing three turnovers while sacking Brock Purdy twice. They also kept San Francisco out of the end zone for the second straight time after also holding the 49ers without a touchdown in Week 18. With Sam Darnold dealing with an oblique injury, the Seahawks put their offense in the hands of Kenneth Walker, who rushed for 116 yards and three touchdowns. 

Sunday, Jan. 18

• (2) Patriots 28-16 over (5) Texans. The Texans’ defense was the best in the NFL all season, but it was the Patriots’ defense that stole the show in this game. The Patriots forced five turnovers, including a pick-six from Marcus Jones in the second quarter that gave New England an early 14-10 lead. Drake Maye had some fumbling problems, but he also came up with some huge plays, including a 32-yard touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte in the fourth quarter that iced the win. The Texans are now 0-7 in the divisional round in franchise history and are the only team in the NFL that has yet to make it to the conference title game. 
• (5) Rams 20-17 (OT) over (2) Bears. The Rams pulled off a dramatic win that wasn’t decided until Harrison Mevis drilled a 42-yard field goal in overtime. The only reason the game made it to overtime is because Caleb Williams threw a miraculous 14-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with under 30 seconds left to play. The Bears looked like they were going to pull out the win in overtime, but Williams threw an interception that set up the Rams’ game-winning drive. 

Wild Card results

Saturday, Jan. 10

(5) Rams 34-31 over (4) Panthers

• Rams vs. Panthers recap: The Panthers almost pulled off the upset, but they couldn’t stop Matthew Stafford with the game on the line. With the Rams trailing 31-27, Stafford engineered a 71-yard game-winning scoring drive that ended when he hit Colby Parkinson with a 19-yard touchdown with just 38 seconds left to play. Stafford threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns in the win. 

(2) Bears 31-27 over (7) Packers

• Packers vs. Bears recap: The Bears pulled off the third-largest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL history. Going into the final quarter, the Bears were trailing by 15 points, but they were able to erase that deficit during a miracle quarter where they outscored the Packers, 25-6. Caleb Williams threw for more yardage (184) in the fourth quarter than he did in the first three quarters combined (177). Williams capped things off with a 25-yard score to DJ Moore with just 1:43 left to win the game. 

Sunday, Jan. 11

(6) Bills 27-24 over (3) Jaguars

• Bills vs. Jaguars recap: For the first time in his career, Josh Allen led a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter of a playoff game. The Bills’ franchise quarterback scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard run with just one minute left to play. Allen also threw a 15-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter to help propel Buffalo to the win. Allen totaled 306 yards and three touchdowns in the win. For the Bills, it was their first road playoff win in 33 years. 

(6) 49ers 23-19 over (3) Eagles

• 49ers vs. Eagles recap: The 49ers pulled off a shocker by going on the road and knocking off the Eagles. After losing George Kittle, the 49ers had some unlikely heroes, including Demarcus Robinson, who caught six passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. Christian McCaffrey also came up big with two touchdowns, including the game-winning score, which came on a 4-yard pass from Brock Purdy with just 2:54 left to play. 

(2) Patriots 16-3 over (7) Chargers

• Chargers vs. Patriots recap: The Patriots defense took over and carried New England to the win. Justin Herbert was sacked six times as the Patriots kept the Chargers out of the end zone and held them to fewer than 210 total yards.The offense didn’t light up the scoreboard, but Drake Maye was impressive in his first career postseason start, throwing for 268 yards and rushing for 66 more. The Patriots are headed to the divisional round for the first time since 2018.

Monday, Jan. 12

(5) Texans 30-6 over (4) Steelers

Texans vs. Steelers recap. The Texans had the best defense in the NFL during the regular season, and that unit carried them to a win against Pittsburgh. The Texans defense sacked Aaron Rodgers four times, held the Steelers to just 175 yards and scored two touchdowns, which both came in the fourth quarter. The first one came on a 33-yard fumble return by Sheldon Rankins, and then Calen Bullock followed that up with a 50-yard pick six with just 2:39 left in the game. It was a defensive masterpiece by a Texans team that picked up its first road win in franchise history

There has been a lot of hoopla surrounding the Minnesota Vikings and the quarterback position so far this offseason.

That topic has only picked up steam in the aftermath of the firing of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah last Friday, following which many talking points circulated that not everybody was on the same page with how the position was handled last offseason when Sam Darnold was let go.

Now, the Vikings have to make a really big decision this offseason at that quarterback spot, which could shape the direction of the franchise for the next decade. With so many options being thrown out there, here are the four paths Minnesota can take at quarterback this offseason.

Stand Pat with J.J. McCarthy as the Sure Starter

This probably won’t happen based on the Minnesota’s current QB options, but technically, they could decide to just stick with what they have.

Perhaps there is no doubt that McCarthy is the starting quarterback heading into 2026, which wouldn’t be entirely out of the realm of possibility after his fairly strong conclusion to the season prior to his hand injury, and they don’t want to spend more money on the position when there are other pretty glaring needs on the roster.

That being said, this is very unlikely to happen given McCarthy’s concerning injury history over his first two NFL seasons. As of now, the Vikings only have Max Brosmer as the backup option behind their 2024 first-round pick. Brosmer was signed as an undrafted free agent last season, and when he did play last year while McCarthy was out with various injuries, it was pretty apparent he is not ready to start at the NFL level.

Bring in a Veteran Free Agent to Compete

Let’s say the Vikings are still plenty confident that McCarthy is capable of starting at the NFL level, but they just want to give him an extra “umph” of competition heading into training camp while also having an insurance policy in case the injury bug bites him again.

There are a number of free agents out there who could be cheap enough to reasonably bring in as a backup quarterback while also pushing McCarthy in camp and potentially being an extra voice in his ear this season.

One name that comes to mind is Jimmy Garoppolo, who spent the 2025 season as the backup for the Los Angeles Rams. Vikings fans will remember that Kevin O’Connell came from Sean McVay’s system before he took the head coaching job in Minnesota. Garoppolo also had plenty of experience with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. If there is a veteran QB who will immediately be ready to play in O’Connell’s system, it’s hard to rationalize one better fitted for it than Garoppolo.

Trade for a Bonafide Starter

The Vikings could go down this path for a number of reasons.

Perhaps they flat out don’t believe McCarthy should be the starting quarterback moving forward, and Minnesota simply wants to turn the page by bringing in an established starter and not having to think about the position again for a few years.

On the other hand, maybe they think McCarthy can be a starter down the road, but the play he put on tape in 2025 showed the coaching staff and front office that the time for him to be under center is not right now if Minnesota wants to compete sooner than later.

Two names have continuously circulated around the Vikings if they were to try to trade for a true, bonafide starting quarterback: Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow.

Murray makes a bit of sense if they want to go all in on 2026 while still offering McCarthy a chance to develop and eventually start down the road. He is under contract through 2027, and while his cap hits of $52.66 million and $43.5 million over the next two years may seem daunting, they rank 8th and 10th in the NFL over those two years. The Vikings would also only eat $7.2 million of that $43.5 million in 2027 if they decided it was time to part ways.

However, if the Vikings ended up going the Burrow option and somehow put together a package of picks and players to convince the Bengals to part with the 2020 No. 1 overall pick, that would instantly indicate they are building around their new quarterback for the long haul. Burrow is under contract through 2029 with ever growing cap numbers through that year.

Take Another Stab in the Draft

Given the depth of the QB class in this year’s draft, this is probably the least likely option heading into 2026. Of course, Fernando Mendoza is being chalked in as the No. 1 overall pick this April whether that be to the Las Vegas Raiders or another team via trade.

After that though, the options get thin in a hurry, especially now that Dante Moore has announced he will be going back to Oregon for another year.

The most obvious choice would be Ty Simpson out of Alabama, who is the other QB who could end up landing in the latter half of the first round or early in the second round. Simpson isn’t the most physically gifted player with underwhelming size and arm speed, but he has tremendous poise in the pocket that could turn him into a starting caliber player at the NFL level.

In this scenario, Minnesota almost certainly would ship McCarthy out for picks. The question is: are the Vikings really ready to use another high end pick on a quarterback experiment without landing the best player in the class?

Editor’s Note: Information from Spotrac helped with this article.

Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To … More about Josh Frey

The NFL is headed to another South American city for the first time, and they’re bringing the Dallas Cowboys along for the ride.

It was announced on Thursday that the NFL’s upcoming trip to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, will feature an appearance by the Dallas Cowboys. It will be just the second appearance by the team in the NFL International Series since it began in 2007, and their first trip outside the US for a regular season game in over a decade, when they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-17 in London. Neither the date and time nor the opponent for the Cowboys was announced.

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“We are proud to welcome the Dallas Cowboys to Brazil for the first‑ever NFL game in Rio de Janeiro,” said NFL Brazil General Manager Luis Martinez. “Introducing one of the league’s most iconic teams to the Maracanã Stadium marks a powerful milestone in the continued growth of the sport worldwide. Bringing a regular-season game to Rio strengthens our connection to a vibrant and passionate football community and underscores our long‑term commitment to the market.”

The game is part of a nine-game international slate scheduled for the 2026 season, which will encompass trips to four continents, seven countries, and eight stadiums. Other cities seeing their first NFL game in 2026 include Melbourne, Australia, and Paris, France.

The NFL has played in Brazil twice, once in 2024 and once in 2025. Both games took place in São Paulo, the country’s capital. Brazil is reportedly one of the league’s largest international markets, with more than 36 million viewers. The 2026 game in Rio is part of the NFL’s commitment to bring at least three games to the city over the next five seasons.

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Dallas Cowboys to star in NFL’s first ever trip to South American city

Pep Guardiola has responded to criticism of his comments on global conflicts by asserting that he condemned anything “when innocent people are killed”.

The Manchester City boss used his press conference ahead of their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Newcastle to reveal his outrage at what he branded the indefensible killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by ICE, as he compared the death of the latter to seeing a nurse in the NHS gunned down on the grass.

Guardiola said he has to carry on speaking up to try and produce a better society, as he talked of his anguish at seeing images of what he called genocide in the Gaza Strip and deaths in Ukraine and Sudan.

It sparked outrage from Jewish community leaders, who felt Manchester City were “being let down by him repeatedly straying into commentary on international affairs” and called for Guardiola to “focus on football”.

The Spaniard has hit back by insisting his comments were hardly contentious and doubled down on his beliefs, saying: “To be honest I didn’t say anything special. I don’t feel that.

“I think why should I not express how I feel just because I am a manager? So I do not agree but I respect absolutely all opinions.

“What I said basically is how many conflicts there are right now around the globe or around the world. How many? A lot, right? I condemn all of them. All of them.

“When innocent people are killed, I condemn all of them.”

Former Super Eagles and Marseille defender Taye Taiwo has welcomed Tochukwu Nnadi to the French Ligue 1 side following the Nigerian midfielder’s move to the club.

Taiwo sent a video message to Nnadi, which was shared on Marseille’s official social media platforms. In the message, the former left-back congratulated the 22-year-old and encouraged him as he begins a new chapter in his career.

“Hi Nnadi congratulation brother. Welcome to Marseille you know I just want to say I wish you all the best and I will see you soon. You know say Naija no dey carry last. All the best brother. See you soon. Ciao. Yeah,” Taiwo said.

Taiwo spent six successful years at Marseille between 2005 and 2011 and remains a respected figure at the club. His message was seen as a major show of support for Nnadi, who is joining one of France’s biggest teams.

Nnadi responded by thanking Taiwo for the kind words and said the message meant a lot to him.

“I’m just going to say thank you so much to Uncle Taiwo. This message means a lot to me and like he said Naija no dey carry last. So come on Naija,” the midfielder said.

Nnadi, who was born in Ihiagwa, Imo State, completed his transfer to Marseille from Belgian Pro League side Zulte Waregem. He impressed in Belgium with his strong work rate, defensive qualities and ability to play in different midfield roles.

Marseille confirmed the signing on Monday, February 2, just hours before the winter transfer window closed.

The move highlights the growing presence of Nigerian players in Europe and creates a strong link between Nnadi and Taiwo, whose time at Marseille is still fondly remembered by the club’s supporters.

Super Eagles forward Terem Moffi has been tipped to make a bigger impact at FC Porto than Viktor Gyökeres has done at Sporting, following his winter move to the Portuguese giants.

Moffi joined FC Porto on loan from French club Nice during the January transfer window. The deal includes an option to buy, valued at eight million euros, with an additional 250,000 euros in bonuses.

The move followed a difficult period for the Nigerian striker in France, where he struggled for form and was affected by off-field issues, including an incident involving a group of fans targeting players.

Speaking on Moffi’s character and development, former teammate Mindaugas Grigaravicius said the striker has the mindset and quality to succeed at the highest level. The two played together at Lithuanian club FK Riteriai, where Moffi joined at the age of 18 after leaving England.

Grigaravicius recalled that Moffi found life and football in Lithuania difficult at first but later proved his critics wrong.

“I lived with him for three weeks in a hotel, while the club looked for apartments for the players. I was the one who took him to training, we went for rides in the car and ate together,” he said.

“He was a shy and quiet boy who didn’t speak at first. He didn’t show his emotions; he seemed like a boy who had come from Africa just chasing his dream of playing football. His first training sessions were terrible.”

He added that many people doubted Moffi’s ability in the early weeks.

“We were discussing amongst ourselves what he had come here to do, he couldn’t fit in or play. He was strong and tall, but he seemed weak, he lost every ball,” Grigaravicius said.

“After a month, we said he had no chance of staying… But he showed us how wrong we were.”

According to Grigaravicius, Moffi’s improvement began when he accepted the physical and tactical demands of European football and put in extra work, especially in the gym and on the training ground.

“He had a complicated adaptation… He had to do extra work, and that’s where the progress began,” he said.

Once he settled, Moffi’s rise was rapid.

“He showed passion, power, a lot of strength… he crushed the defenders, he killed them! He started scoring a lot of goals,” Grigaravicius added.

Looking ahead to Moffi’s time at FC Porto, Grigaravicius said the striker has everything needed to succeed in Portugal.

“At a big club like FC Porto, there’s no time for adaptation… he will surely be successful,” he said.

“In good form, with everyone’s confidence, he has no limits. He could be better than Gyökeres at Sporting.”