FIFA let DR Congo play at World Cup despite ineligible goalkeeper in qualifying

FIFA cleared the Democratic Republic of the Congo to take part in this summer's World Cup even though an internal investigation had reportedly established that the team used a player who was not eligible during qualifying. Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, who was born in France and represented Les Bleus at youth level, never completed the process of switching nationalities, according to the findings reported by international media.

• Lionel Mpasi played at the World Cup for DR Congo without completing his nationality switch.
• Nigeria filed a complaint over ineligible players after losing the playoff on penalties.
• FIFA rejected the Nigerian complaint over a supposed missed deadline.
• No punishment was handed down to the Congolese federation, Fecofa.
• Nigeria is considering seeking financial compensation for the losses caused by elimination.

Lionel Mpasi starred at the World Cup despite eligibility investigation

Lionel Mpasi was the starting goalkeeper for the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the tournament and produced a standout performance in the last-32 meeting with England. The shot-stopper, who developed in France and played for Les Bleus at youth level, had not finalised the paperwork to switch federations when he featured in qualifying, according to the investigation handled by FIFA.

The Congolese federation, Fecofa, faced no sanction over the matter. The case brings renewed attention to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, whose name is linked to a former university associate, Véron Mosengo-Omba, who was elected unopposed as Fecofa president in May.

Nigeria's complaint over the World Cup playoff against DR Congo

The Nigerian Football Federation submitted a formal complaint after the Democratic Republic of the Congo knocked the Super Eagles out on penalties in the playoff held in November. The filing alleged that the Congolese side had fielded players who did not meet the eligibility requirements.

FIFA investigators were already aware of Mpasi's situation before the African team beat Jamaica in the final intercontinental playoff round in March. The governing body had several possible responses available, including a hypothetical ban from the playoffs, but ultimately dismissed the Nigerian complaint on the grounds that it had not been filed within the required timeframe.

Nigeria weighs claiming financial compensation from FIFA

The Nigerian federation appealed the decision, and government representatives have suggested they could seek compensation for the economic losses caused by missing the World Cup. A member of the national sports commission, which regulates sport in the country, told ESPN that nothing has been decided yet, but that the possibility of asking FIFA to cover the financial damage from that elimination will be seriously considered.

Concacaf calls for a thorough review of eligibility rules

Concacaf, the confederation for North America, Central America and the Caribbean that includes Jamaica among its members, made its position clear: player eligibility matters are taken very seriously and the applicable regulations should be applied consistently and fairly across all competitions. In a statement, the confederation asked for any eligibility concerns to be thoroughly reviewed through FIFA's proper governance and disciplinary bodies.

FIFA's governance under renewed scrutiny

The episode comes as the Norwegian football federation confirmed on Tuesday that it had submitted a three-pronged complaint to FIFA over governance issues. One of the cases is the decision to overturn a red card shown to USA forward Folarin Balogun after a phone intervention by Donald Trump. The other two involve the FIFA peace prize and the abandoned plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to investors, known as the Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme.

Norwegian federation president Lise Klaveness stressed that each case must be assessed on its own facts, but warned that together they point to a broader question: whether FIFA's position, authority or influence has been used inappropriately, and whether the mechanisms meant to prevent that worked as they should.

Frequently asked questions about the DR Congo eligibility case