Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong has announced his retirement from international football, bringing to an end a distinguished decade with the Super Eagles just weeks before the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Morocco.
Troost-Ekong, 31, confirmed in an emotional statement that his final appearance for Nigeria came in the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff defeat to DR Congo — a loss that ended the country’s qualification hopes.
He said in a social media post on Thursday that he is calling time on a career defined by leadership, resilience and unbroken commitment.
“Every single time I put on that iconic shirt, I thought back to the moment Stephen Keshi gave me my debut,” he wrote.
“Nigeria took me in and trusted me to represent a nation of 230+ million. I have lived my dream.”
Troost-Ekong made his competitive debut in 2015 and quickly established himself as the heartbeat of Nigeria’s defence.
His partnership with Leon Balogun — the famous Oyibo Wall — became the foundation of the side that reached the 2018 World Cup and competed at multiple TotalEnergies CAF AFCON tournaments.
He won three major medals with Nigeria, including a bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics and another bronze at the 2019 AFCON. His finest moment came at the delayed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire, where he captained the Super Eagles to the final and was named Player of the Tournament after scoring in the final and delivering one of the standout campaigns by a Nigerian defender.
“To have achieved 83 caps, played in five major tournaments and captained Nigeria is beyond my wildest dreams,” he said.
“In adversity, we come together, we hustle, we fight through the pain and rise.”
The defender said he is “at peace” with his decision and hopes his journey will inspire the next generation of Super Eagles players.
“It has been fun to play alongside my Nigerian teammates, building something great together,” he said.
“Now it’s the turn of the next generation to continue and write their own story.”
A continuing presence
Troost-Ekong clarified that his departure from active duty is not “a final goodbye”.
He will remain closely involved with Nigerian football even though he did not state the role he will be playing in future.
“To the Nigerian fans — the heartbeat of our football — your support carried me through every high and every challenge,” he added.
“Wearing the Super Eagles shirt has been more than playing football. It has been a duty, a privilege, and an honour.”
His retirement marks the end of an era for Nigeria — a decade in which Troost-Ekong became not only a captain, but a symbol of pride, perseverance and national identity
