Fresh reports from ESPN and NY Times have confirmed that FIFA had indeed found DR Congo guilty of fielding an ineligible player in the World Cup playoff fixture against Nigeria.
Fresh controversy has emerged over Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after reports revealed that FIFA’s own legal officials determined that DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi was ineligible to represent the country during the qualifying campaign.
Investigations by The New York Times and Le Monde, based on internal FIFA documents, reported that the governing body’s lawyers discovered in March 2026 that Mpasi had not completed the required process to switch his international association from France to DR Congo.
Mpasi had previously represented France at youth level, meaning he needed FIFA approval to complete his change of association before becoming eligible to play competitively for DR Congo. According to the reports, that process, which began in 2021, was never formally completed.
Originally published by NotJustOk.