FIFA allowed DR Congo to field ineligible goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi in 2026 World Cup

Eligibility investigation findings

Internal FIFA documents and correspondence revealed on October 6, 2026, show that world football's governing body identified DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi as ineligible prior to the 2026 World Cup. Mpasi, a 32-year-old goalkeeper for French club Le Havre AC, represented France across 12 matches at the under-16, under-17, and under-18 levels before playing 33 senior matches for DR Congo starting in 2022. FIFA legal investigators determined between March 9 and March 10, 2026, that the Congolese Football Association had never completed the required administrative switch of sporting nationality. Despite finding that Mpasi had played without proper documentation across 19 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, FIFA dismissed an official complaint from Nigeria on formal grounds.

Playoff pathway and regulatory options

The dispute originated following the African qualifying playoff in November 2025, in which DR Congo eliminated Nigeria 5-4 in a penalty shootout. The Nigeria Football Federation filed a formal appeal 12 days later, citing suspicions regarding the eligibility of Congolese players. Internal records showed that FIFA officials drafted multiple options to address the breach, including awarding Nigeria a forfeit victory, issuing financial fines, placing Nigeria in the intercontinental playoff against Jamaica, or taking no action by citing procedural deadlines. Head coach Sébastien Desabre selected Mpasi for the decisive playoff match on March 31, 2026, at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, where DR Congo defeated Jamaica 1-0 to secure qualification for the first time in 52 years.

Administrative fallout and governance reactions

The rejection of the appeal caused administrative upheaval in Nigeria, where federation president Ibrahim Musa Gusau and the entire board of the Nigeria Football Federation resigned. Following the publication of the documents, FIFA maintained that president Gianni Infantino and general secretary Mattias Grafström did not intervene in the decision-making process.

FIFA defended the neutrality of its disciplinary bodies in an official statement.

The committees are autonomous and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them.

Regional confederation CONCACAF announced that it would open an inquiry into the matter following Jamaica's elimination in the qualifying playoff.

Any process relating to the eligibility of players, in particular those that could compromise the integrity of a competition or the interests of one of our member associations, must be examined and addressed with the utmost thoroughness.

Tournament participation and leadership ties

Mpasi started in every match for DR Congo at the tournament finals, conceding a header to João Neves in a 1-1 group stage draw with Portugal before DR Congo exited in the round of 16 with a 2-1 defeat against England. The investigative reports connected the handling of the case to internal federation politics, noting that Congolese federation chief Véron Mosengo-Omba, an ally of Infantino, prepared his leadership bid while the investigation was underway. In past qualification cycles, including the 2018 qualifiers when Bolivia fielded defender Nelson Cabrera against Peru and Chile, FIFA routinely punished ineligible player selections with default 3-0 defeats. FIFA applied no retroactive penalties against DR Congo, leaving all tournament results in place.