This young man is eligible to play for Nigeria, but is representing Germany at the World Cup
The Germany U17 team defeated Argentina in a penalty shootout on Wednesday to advance to the final of the ongoing FIFA U17 World Cup, Soccernet.ng reported.
Agustin Ruberto scored a hat-trick for Argentina in regulation time, but his goal was canceled out by Paris Brunner and Max Melstedt. The match went to a penalty shootout, with Germany ultimately emerging as champions.
The Germans had a very solid tournament and had a decent defensive record, except for the match against Argentina. Before the semi-finals, Germany had conceded just four goals in five games. A big factor in their good performance is 17-year-old David Odogwu. The Wolfsburg-trained defender played in every game for Germany at the World Cup and proved himself to be a loyal player.
According to Sofascore, Odogwu recorded 1.7 interceptions, 3 tackles, 3.3 ball recoveries, 4.3 clearances, and 47 touches per game.
Key facts about David Odogu
Odogwu was born in Germany on June 3, 2026 to a Nigerian father and currently plays for the German national team. The young player built a career in German football, initially playing for the U16 team and then for the U17 team. The decision has already paid off, as he won the U17 EURO with Germany earlier this year.
He started his football journey at Union Berlin and moved to Wolfsburg in 2020. Odogwu is a traditional center defender and can play on the right or left of central defence.
At 1.90 meters tall, the 17-year-old has good height for a central defender and is very fast. Additionally, Odogwu is confident and uses the ball well when in possession. His attributes have made him one of the top talents to watch in German football. He has already made 11 appearances for the Germany U17 national team.
Can Odogu play for Nigeria?
In recent years, there has been an influx of foreign-trained soccer players to the Super Eagles. Leon Balogun, Troost Ekong, Joe Aribo, Ademola Lookman and Jordan Tornalija are the Super Eagles’ star players who chose to represent the country despite being eligible to play in other European countries.
Odogwu could join this bandwagon as he has yet to play for Germany’s senior national team and is therefore still eligible to play for the Super Eagles according to FIFA rules.
However, even if Odogwu reaches the top of his game like Jamal Musiala, it is unlikely that he will decide to play for Nigeria.
