Messi’s retirement: FCTA ex-spokesman proposes FIFA Over-40 World Cup

A former spokesman for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Nosike Ogbuenyi, has asked the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to introduce an Over-40 World Cup so that retired international footballers can keep showcasing their skills.

Mr Ogbuenyi said he submitted a proposal to FIFA through the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.

He said the competition, proposed for players aged 40 to 65, would give fans more opportunities to watch some of football’s most celebrated players long after they retire from conventional professional football.

“The introduction of the FIFA Over-40 World Cup will enable the football-loving world to continue to watch the best of all times on the field of play for a longer period,” he said.

Mr Ogbuenyi, who served twice as special assistant on media to the FCT minister, said the proposal was inspired partly by the retirement of some of the game’s biggest names and the difficulty fans face in keeping up with former stars after their playing careers.

“Here in Nigeria, we have seen our most talented and best of all times retire and become less visible publicly. We, the football fans, find it difficult to keep track of our legends and stars like Jay Jay Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Victor Ikpeba, Emmanuel Amunike, Obafemi Martins, Vincent Enyeama and John Obi Mikel,” he said.

Beyond Nigeria, he listed several former and current players whom he believes fans would like to see return to the pitch in a veterans’ competition. They include Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria, Gabriel Batistuta, Michael Owen, David Beckham, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Ramos, Xavi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo de Lima, Roberto Carlos, Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry.

Others on his list include Oliver Kahn, Miroslav Klose, Manuel Neuer, Lothar Matthäus and Keisuke Honda.

Proposed rules, benefits

Mr Ogbuenyi said the proposed tournament could promote fitness among former players, provide an additional income source, and keep them in the public eye after retirement.

He also argued it could help former internationals stay connected to their countries and contribute to developing younger players and the wider game.

According to him, the competition would give professional footballers a clearer pathway after leaving the physically demanding environment of youth and senior football, while allowing supporters to follow their idols for longer.

He further suggested that the tournament could discourage age cheating in youth and senior football categories by giving players another age-based competition to aspire to.

On eligibility, Mr Ogbuenyi proposed that players be between 40 and 65 years old and have represented their countries at the senior international level. He also said players should retire from senior international football before representing their countries in the veterans’ competition.

He argued the tournament could be commercially viable for FIFA, citing potential revenue from television rights and corporate partnerships, given the prospect of bringing together some of the game’s most recognisable names.

Why now?

Mr Ogbuenyi said Messi’s retirement, the Argentine forward and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, created an opportunity to draw attention to his proposal.

“I have found this period of the retirement of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Lionel Messi, the most auspicious time to submit this proposal. As the iconic Argentine footballer bowed out after a 21-year international soccer career on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, I kept wondering what the football world would look like if FIFA created a new tournament that would allow talismanic players such as Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jay Jay Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo and others to continue to exhibit their skills on the global stage.

“In fact, I first started nursing this idea when Jay Jay Okocha, Nigeria’s most adored football prodigy, retired about 15 years ago. But I had to wait for this moment of Messi’s retirement to submit the proposal because of the anticipated global momentum.”

He said he had no personal interest in the proposal and was motivated by his passion for the game.

“I am not making any claims for bringing up this idea and putting it across through this proposal to FIFA. I am just writing as a football fan who wants the world to be happier through more football games entertainment.”

Mr Ogbuenyi expressed confidence that FIFA would evaluate and approve the proposal, which he believes could offer another way to celebrate former players and promote the game.

He currently works as an assistant editor at PREMIUM TIMES. He has previously worked with Daily Champion, The Comet, The Sun, and ThisDay newspapers.