He made his World Cup debut in February 2022 in Lahti, collecting his first World Cup points during the 2022–23 FIS Cross-Country World Cup. He broke into the top 20 for the first time in March 2024 in Lahti, finishing 19th in the 20 kilometres.[2]
At the 2023 World Championships in Planica, he finished 24th in the 15 kilometre race and won a silver medal in the 4 × 10 kilometre relay.[2] He was described by YLE as a wildcard for the relay team; when the World Cup season started in late 2022, "Those who envisioned Niko Anttola as the anchor in the World Championships relay can barely be regarded as sane".[5]