FIFA lets DR Congo keep World Cup spot despite ineligible goalkeeper

According to The Guardian, FIFA authorised the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Fecofa) to compete at the 2026 World Cup despite reports that an internal investigation discovered the side had fielded an ineligible player during the African qualifiers.

The player in question is goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, who was born in France and represented Les Bleus at youth level. FIFA’s review concluded that Mpasi had never completed the formal switch of national allegiance required to represent DR Congo, making him ineligible under the governing body’s statutes. He featured for the team throughout the tournament, including the round‑of‑16 match against England.

Nigeria lodged a formal complaint alleging the use of ineligible players in the playoff round, and FIFA investigators were reportedly aware of the eligibility issue before the tournament began. Nonetheless, no sanction was imposed on Fecofa, and the Congolese squad will retain its World Cup berth. Readers can find related match highlights on this site.