Nigeria’s painful failure to reach the 2026 World Cup has taken on a different shape after internal FIFA documents revealed that the governing body’s own legal officials found DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi ineligible and considered replacing the Leopards with the Super Eagles in the intercontinental playoff, Footynaija.com reports.
Nigeria had lost the African playoff final to DR Congo in Rabat on November 16, 2025, with the game ending 1-1 after extra time before the Leopards won 4-3 on penalties, sending them through to the final stage of the World Cup qualification process. Nigeria’s defeat ended their hopes of returning to the tournament after also missing the 2022 edition.
The NFF did not accept the result without a challenge. On November 28, the federation submitted a complaint to FIFA over the eligibility of several DR Congo players, arguing that they had not met the requirements to represent the country. The complaint came after Nigeria’s defeat, with the federation seeking action under FIFA’s disciplinary rules.
Related Post
FIFA later rejected the complaint on formal and timing grounds, telling the NFF that the case was inadmissible. The decision was eventually treated as final after no proper appeal was lodged within the required process.
FIFA lawyers found another problem
That, however, was not the end of the matter. According to documents reviewed by The New York Times, FIFA lawyers examined Mpasi’s status in March 2026 and found that his change of international association from France to DR Congo had never been completed.
Mpasi had represented France at youth level, including the 2011 Under-17 World Cup, before beginning the process of switching his international allegiance to DR Congo in 2021. FIFA’s legal officials found that the process had never been completed, meaning the goalkeeper had not received the required authorisation to represent DR Congo.
Mpasi played in some of DR Congo’s World Cup qualifying matches, including the playoff against Nigeria. FIFA lawyers reportedly concluded that his involvement created problems for the African qualifying process and pointed to the possibility of Nigeria taking DR Congo’s place in the intercontinental playoff against Jamaica.
Their recommendations included disciplinary action against Mpasi and the Congolese federation, as well as either declaring a match forfeited or taking other measures under FIFA’s regulations. The lawyers also considered the possibility of Nigeria playing Jamaica for a place at the World Cup.
FIFA ultimately did not take that route. DR Congo went ahead to face Jamaica on March 31, 2026, winning 1-0 and securing its first World Cup appearance since 1974. Mpasi was involved in that qualifying campaign, while Nigeria remained out.
The new documents therefore do not officially give Nigeria the playoff place or overturn the result against DR Congo. They do, however, show that FIFA’s own legal officials identified an eligibility problem and considered a route that could have put Nigeria back into the World Cup race.
