World Cup qualifiers: FIFA knew DR Congo fielded ineligible player against Nigeria – Report

World football governing body FIFA has been accused of knowing that DR Congo fielded an ineligible player during their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff against Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

An investigation by The New York Times published on Tuesday identified DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi as the player at the centre of the controversy.

Mpasi, a French-born goalkeeper who was playing for Le Havre, represented France 12 times at youth level between 2010 and 2011 before switching his international allegiance to DR Congo.

Under FIFA’s eligibility rules, players who have represented one national association can in certain circumstances change their sporting nationality, but the required process must be completed before they are eligible to represent another association. FIFA’s current guidance also states that players undergoing a change-of-association process are not eligible to play for a representative team until the request has been decided.

According to the New York Times investigation, DR Congo had not completed the required process for Mpasi, while internal documents reviewed by the newspaper indicated that a FIFA investigation had established that he had not been properly cleared before the playoff.

Nigeria filed a complaint after losing 4-3 on penalties to DR Congo in the African playoff final in Rabat in November 2025.

DR Congo subsequently defeated Jamaica in the intercontinental playoff to secure a place at the 2026 World Cup.

According to the report, FIFA considered four possible responses to Nigeria’s complaint: awarding the match to Nigeria, replacing DR Congo with Nigeria in the playoff against Jamaica, imposing a fine on DR Congo or dismissing the complaint on procedural grounds.

FIFA ultimately chose to dismiss the case on procedural grounds.

The governing body told The New York Times that FIFA President Gianni Infantino had no influence over the decision concerning Mpasi, maintaining that its committees operate independently.

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“Committees are autonomous and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them,” FIFA was quoted as saying.

The investigation, however, claimed that FIFA was aware of the alleged eligibility problem before Mpasi subsequently featured in DR Congo’s victory over Jamaica in March.

The report also pointed to previous cases in which FIFA awarded 3-0 defeats to teams that fielded ineligible players, including Greece against Turkey in 2016 and Bolivia in 2018 after the South American side fielded a player who had previously represented Paraguay.

Had a similar sanction been applied to DR Congo, the report suggested, Nigeria could have taken their place in the subsequent playoff.

Nigeria’s complaint also raised concerns over the nationality of several DR Congo players, with the Nigeria Football Federation arguing that some players held European passports despite Congolese law restricting dual nationality.

FIFA dismissed that aspect of the complaint, reportedly on the grounds that Nigeria’s protest was submitted outside the stipulated two-hour window and without payment of the 1,000 Swiss francs fee.

FIFA’s rules place responsibility for determining player eligibility within its regulatory framework. Its Players’ Status Chamber handles requests relating to eligibility and changes of association, while FIFA maintains a public platform listing players who have received favourable decisions to change their sporting nationality.

The allegations could revive questions over Nigeria’s elimination from the 2026 World Cup qualification race and FIFA’s handling of eligibility complaints.

However, the claims concerning Mpasi’s eligibility and FIFA’s internal handling of the case remain based on documents and findings reported by The New York Times, while FIFA has maintained that the relevant committees acted independently and according to the applicable regulations.

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