FIFA know say Lionel Mpasi no eligible to play for 2026 World Cup qualifiers, but di governing body no sanction Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to investigations by Le Monde and The New York Times.
Enforcing di rules fit don change di course of di Leopards’ World Cup qualification. FIFA legal team discover di matter in March 2026.
Di Congo goalkeeper never complete di switch of him sporting affiliation from di French federation to di Congolese one, despite say e turn out for DR Congo national team throughout di qualifiers, including di decisive showdown with Nigeria. Mpasi don represent France at youth level, which leave him international eligibility open to legal dispute.
Di case date back to November 2025. After losing to DR Congo on penalties for di final of di African play-off, di Nigeria Football Federation lodge protest, demand say dem penalise di Congolese for fielding ineligible players and cite breaches over nationality and players’ documents. FIFA find no breach warranting sanction at first.
Di legal team then re-examine di file after di Nigerian federation submit follow-up request in March 2026, uncovering Mpasi ineligibility. Le Monde note say di player hold both French and Congolese nationality and feature in several matches for France youth sides, all while di paperwork to change him national federation, begun in 2021, remain incomplete.
Article 19 of FIFA disciplinary code give di case its weight. Le Monde report say e require a team fielding an ineligible player to be handed a notional defeat and a fine, provided di breach is proven on di basis of a complaint. Di investigation also point to precedents where FIFA punish national teams for similar breaches. Applying that rule fit don change Africa‘s representative in di global play-off. Nigeria might don take DR Congo place against Jamaica, before di Congolese seal dia World Cup ticket by beating Jamaica by a single unanswered goal after extra time. FIFA reject di Nigerian complaint on procedural and timing grounds.
For im response to Le Monde, di governing body say im disciplinary committee don consider di complaint and choose not to accept am, and say di decision become final and binding once no appeal dey lodged under di agreed procedures. FIFA insist say im judicial bodies act independently and deny any interference from president Gianni Infantino. Even so, di two investigations reopen di file on how im regulations were applied in one of di most contentious cases tied to a national team’s qualification for di 2026 World Cup.
Gianni Infantino dey face fresh questions following reports say FIFA lawyers know in March say DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi allegedly ineligible. Di lawyers draw up list of possible sanctions in March including banning Mpasi and disqualifying DR Congo from di intercontinental play-off against Jamaica later that month, according to reports in The New York Times and Le Monde. But di two outlets report say no action dey taken. Mpasi go on represent DR Congo for di finals in North America, and play in him side 2-1 defeat by England for di last 32.
Di reports don put Infantino under further scrutiny over a World Cup disciplinary matter. Dem follow di Folarin Balogun case and di Swiss official handling of plan for private investment in a commercial vehicle wey go run FIFA tournaments, including di men’s and women’s World Cups. Balogun, a United States striker, was sent off and given a one-match ban, which FIFA disciplinary committee suspend. Dat suspension allow am feature for di last-16 match against Belgium. US President Donald Trump later admit say e personally call Infantino to review di sanction. Him intervention raise concerns around political interference inside FIFA. FIFA don deny say any intervention by Infantino happen for dat case and say im disciplinary committee dey wholly independent. FIFA don dey approached for comment on di reports concerning Mpasi and DR Congo.
Di confederation wey represent Jamaica, DR Congo opponents for di intercontinental play-off, say: ‘CONCACAF takes player eligibility matters very seriously and expects the applicable regulations and procedures to be applied consistently and fairly in all competitions.’ ‘Any concerns regarding player eligibility, particularly those that may affect the integrity of a competition or the interests of one of our member associations, should be thoroughly reviewed and addressed through FIFA’s appropriate governance and disciplinary bodies, in accordance with established regulations and due process.’ Di Confederation of African Football also don dey approached for comment. Di Norwegian federation file complaints with FIFA ethics committee and im governance, audit and compliance committee. Im complaints cover di Balogun case, di private investor plan and di awarding of di FIFA Peace Prize last year to President Trump.
