Heartbreak for Super Eagles and Finidi George as another Nigeria-eligible midfielder makes EURO 2024 squad

In a major blow to Nigeria's World Cup hopes Finidi George's dreams of calling up one of the country's brightest young talents have been shattered.

Luciano Spalletti has named his 26-man Italy squad for the EURO 2024 tournament in Germany - and included in that list is Italy-born Nigerian midfielder Michael Folorunsho.

The 26-year-old, renowned for his thunderous long-range strikes, has been a revelation during his season-long loan spell at Hellas Verona from Napoli.

Folorunsho has been a standout performer in Serie A, netting an impressive five goals and providing one assist in his 34 appearances.

His brilliant campaign has clearly caught the eye of Azzurri boss Spalletti, who has opted to hand the Nigeria-eligible star a place in his EURO squad per the team’s website.

This latest snub will be a bitter pill to swallow for Finidi George and the Super Eagles, who have already seen Eberechi Eze pledge his international future to England.

Folorunsho, who is yet to make a competitive debut for either Nigeria or Italy, will now be hoping his inclusion in the Azzurri's EURO squad can finally put an end to the debate surrounding his international allegiance.

But for Finidi, it's another major setback as he looks to build a squad capable of reaching the 2026 World Cup. The loss of Folorunsho to Italy will be a tough blow for the Super Eagles boss to take.