FIFA Documents Reveal DR Congo Eligibility Issue After Nigeria’s World Cup Protest

Freshly reported details from internal FIFA documents have raised new questions over Nigeria’s elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification race, with reports indicating that FIFA officials had identified an eligibility problem involving Democratic Republic of Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.

According to investigations by The New York Times and Le Monde, FIFA’s legal officials determined that Mpasi had not completed the required process to change his international association from France to DR Congo. Mpasi was born in France and represented the country at youth level before beginning his international career with DR Congo.

The revelation is significant because Mpasi played all 120 minutes of DR Congo’s African play-off final against Nigeria in Rabat, Morocco, on November 16, 2025. The match ended 1-1 after extra time before DR Congo defeated the Super Eagles 4-3 on penalties, earning the right to represent Africa at the intercontinental play-off tournament.

Nigeria subsequently filed a formal complaint with FIFA challenging the eligibility of several DR Congo players. The Nigeria Football Federation argued that there were irregularities surrounding the players’ nationality and passport documentation.

FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee rejected the Nigerian petition in March 2026. The NFF said it was dissatisfied with the decision and immediately began an appeal.

However, the new documents reported by The New York Times indicate that FIFA officials had considered several possible responses to the eligibility issue. These reportedly included awarding the match to Nigeria, replacing DR Congo with Nigeria in the intercontinental play-off, imposing sanctions or taking no action because Nigeria’s complaint had been filed outside the applicable deadline.

The case centres particularly on Mpasi’s change of association. The reports say DR Congo began the process of switching the goalkeeper from France to DR Congo in 2021, but the necessary procedure was not completed.

Despite the finding, Mpasi continued to play for DR Congo. He featured when the Leopards defeated Jamaica in March 2026 to secure qualification for the World Cup, their first appearance at the tournament since 1974. FIFA subsequently listed Mpasi in DR Congo’s World Cup squad.

DR Congo went on to reach the knockout stage of the tournament. Mpasi played against Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan and England, including the last-32 defeat to England.

The controversy has prompted comparisons with previous FIFA disciplinary cases involving ineligible players. FIFA has previously ordered forfeits after teams fielded players deemed ineligible, including South Africa’s 2026 qualifying match against Lesotho and Bolivia’s 2018 World Cup qualifying matches.

The latest revelations do not, however, establish that FIFA deliberately sought to prevent Nigeria from participating in the World Cup. They show that the governing body rejected Nigeria’s complaint and that internal officials had identified an eligibility issue involving Mpasi, while FIFA maintains that its judicial bodies operate independently.

FIFA has also rejected suggestions that President Gianni Infantino personally intervened in the case. Reports have nevertheless drawn attention to Infantino’s longstanding relationship with Véron Mosengo-Omba, who later became president of the Congolese football federation. There is currently no evidence establishing that Infantino directed the handling of Mpasi’s case.

For Nigeria, the revelation has reopened an issue that appeared to have been settled after the NFF’s unsuccessful complaint and appeal. A senior National Sports Commission official has told ESPN that Nigeria is considering whether to seek compensation from FIFA for losses associated with missing the World Cup, although no final decision has been announced.

The development also places renewed attention on the NFF’s original protest and the question of whether FIFA’s eligibility rules were applied consistently in the DR Congo case.

For now, DR Congo remains the team that qualified for the 2026 World Cup, while Nigeria remains eliminated. The new reporting, however, has put FIFA’s handling of the eligibility complaint back under scrutiny.