Odemwingie: Players outside top leagues should not captain national teams

Former Nigeria international Peter Odemwingie has argued that footballers who do not play in one of the world’s leading domestic leagues should not be allowed to captain their national teams.

Odemwingie believes a national-team captain should be playing at the highest level of club football, where they are regularly exposed to intense competition and elite standards.

“Any player who is not playing in a top league should not be allowed to captain a national team,” Odemwingie told Brilla Media.

The former West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City forward used Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo as an example while explaining his position.

Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, has continued to lead Portugal despite moving away from European football after a long career at some of the continent’s biggest clubs.

But Odemwingie believes the move to Saudi Arabia has contributed to a decline in Ronaldo’s performances at international level.

“Take a look at Cristiano Ronaldo, who is playing in Saudi Arabia. We can see the decline in his form at international level. He’s riding on past glories,” he said.

Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in December 2022 after leaving Manchester United and has remained one of the club’s leading players. He finished the 2024-25 Saudi Pro League season as the division’s top scorer for the second successive campaign.

Odemwingie’s comments therefore raise a wider debate about whether a player’s current club environment should influence their suitability to captain a national side.

The Nigerian spent much of his own career in competitive European leagues, including spells with French side Lille, Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow and English Premier League teams West Bromwich Albion, Cardiff City and Stoke City.

He represented Nigeria 63 times, scoring 10 goals, and played at four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and two World Cups. He was also captain of the Super Eagles during the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.

Odemwingie was part of Nigeria’s squad at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and scored the winning goal in the Super Eagles’ 1-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

His latest comments are likely to fuel discussion over the balance between experience, leadership and current form when national teams select their captains.

While established stars often retain the armband because of their experience and influence in the dressing room, Odemwingie’s argument is that regular competition at the highest level should be an important consideration.