FIFA Knew DR Congo Goalkeeper Was Ineligible, Reports Say

Nigeria is weighing further action against FIFA, including a possible compensation claim, after reports that the governing body knew a DR Congo goalkeeper was ineligible but took no action before the World Cup. The reports have reopened one of the most painful episodes in recent Nigerian football.

The New York Times and French daily Le Monde reported on Tuesday that FIFA allowed DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi to keep playing despite finding him ineligible months before the tournament. Citing internal FIFA documents, they said Mpasi, born in France and a former France youth international, never completed the process of switching his national eligibility to DR Congo.

According to ESPN, FIFA's lawyers discovered the problem in March, before DR Congo's intercontinental playoff against Jamaica, but no disciplinary action followed. DR Congo went on to beat Jamaica and qualified for its first World Cup in 52 years, and Mpasi played in all four of its matches. These are allegations in media reports, and the accounts of the documents have not been confirmed publicly by FIFA.

The Super Eagles lost the African playoff final to DR Congo in November 2025. The match ended 1-1, and DR Congo won 4-3 on penalties, with Mpasi playing all 120 minutes. The Nigeria Football Federation then filed a wider complaint accusing DR Congo of fielding several players who had not been properly cleared to switch nationality.

FIFA dismissed Nigeria's complaint on technical grounds, and Guardian Nigeria reports that the Court of Arbitration for Sport also dismissed Nigeria's petition. The new reports say FIFA officials considered several options, including awarding the match to Nigeria, imposing a fine, replacing DR Congo with Nigeria in the Jamaica playoff, or taking no action because Nigeria's complaint had allegedly been filed late.

The reports also point to the relationship between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Véron Mosengo-Omba, who became president of the DR Congo federation in May as the only candidate, after eight rivals withdrew or were disqualified. Mosengo-Omba said he was unaware of FIFA's findings about Mpasi, and FIFA maintains that Infantino had no role in the eligibility decision.

Former NFF president Ibrahim Musa Gusau said he was told Nigeria's complaint had been rejected on technical grounds, and that he was never informed FIFA had found an issue with Mpasi's eligibility.

A senior official at Nigeria's National Sports Commission told ESPN that Nigeria has been "vindicated" and is exploring all options, including seeking compensation from FIFA for the economic losses of missing the World Cup. He said "nothing is off the table".

ESPN notes that Nigeria's case would centre on FIFA's own administration and enforcement of its eligibility rules, and that FIFA has compensated a federation after a disputed elimination before, although in substantially different circumstances. Jamaica, which also lost to DR Congo, is reportedly considering legal action as well.

None of this automatically puts Nigeria back in the World Cup, which ended in July, and the claim that Nigeria has been "vindicated" is the official's own view and not a FIFA ruling. No formal compensation claim has been announced. Nigeria's next step depends on whether authorities decide to ask FIFA to reopen the matter and which legal avenues remain open.

247NewsCheck will continue to follow the story and report verified updates.

Source and attribution: This 247NewsCheck report is based on reports by The New York Times, Le Monde, ESPN and the Associated Press, as carried by Nigerian and international outlets. The allegations are those of the reports and the people quoted, and are not independent findings by 247NewsCheck.