2026 World Cup: FIFA dismisses any eligibility issues for Congolese goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi

FIFA asserts that no regulatory obstacles called into question the participation of Congolese goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi in the qualifiers and the subsequent final phase of the 2026 World Cup. Questioned by the DPA agency, the governing body denied any eligibility issues, Africa Top Sports reported on October 7, 2026, citing Kicker. This denial comes in response to investigations published the day before by Le Monde and the New York Times.

What Le Monde and the New York Times are reporting

According to these two newspapers, which claim to rely on internal documents, Mpasi, who holds dual French-Congolese nationality, played at least five matches with French youth teams before wearing the DR Congo jersey for the first time on February 1, 2022. The Fecofa allegedly initiated a change of association procedure in 2021 without ever completing it, writes Le Monde, as cited by SenePlus.

Still according to this investigation, FIFA lawyers, alerted in December 2025, allegedly confirmed in March 2026 that the goalkeeper was ineligible, referring to Article 19 of the disciplinary code: match forfeited and a fine of at least 6,000 Swiss francs. Five measures were reportedly proposed internally, including a six-month suspension for the player and a forfeited match or a six-point deduction for DR Congo. No sanctions were issued.

A historic qualification in the balance

On March 31, 2026, DR Congo beat Jamaica 1-0 and secured its qualification for the World Cup, the second in its history after 1974, SenePlus recalls. Mpasi then played in the final phase in North America. Le Monde suggests that Burkina Faso would have taken the Leopards' place at the previous stage of the competition. A precedent exists: in March 2025, South Africa lost a match by forfeit for fielding Teboho Mokoena, who was deemed ineligible.

Denials and silence

FIFA "categorically rejects" the idea of its president intervening in this matter, according to SenePlus. The Belga agency dispatch relayed by La DH notes that CONCACAF, the confederation for Jamaica, says it takes eligibility issues "very seriously." Fecofa, for its part, has not responded. Its president, Véron Mosengo-Omba, elected on May 20, 2026, publicly defended Gianni Infantino this summer in The Guardian.

At this stage, neither the goalkeeper nor Fecofa is the subject of any known proceedings, and the reported facts concern federal paperwork, not the pitch. That is where the matter weighs heavily: the Leopards earned their spot by playing, and an administration that allegedly failed to finalize a file in four years would be casting doubt on them. Both the Congolese and the Burkinabè have a right to a written and public response from FIFA.