Le Havre goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi is at the centre of a World Cup eligibility case that could have changed DR Congo’s route to the 2026 tournament. FIFA lawyers reportedly identified a problem with his international status after he had already played a decisive role in the Leopards’ qualifying campaign, yet no sporting sanction followed.
The move
Mpasi, who holds French and Congolese nationality, has been a DR Congo international since 2022 and has collected 32 caps. He started in the African qualifying play-off final against Nigeria in November 2025, when DR Congo drew 1-1 before winning 4-3 on penalties.
Days after that match, the Nigerian Football Federation lodged a complaint alleging that several Congolese players were ineligible because of nationality issues and suspected passport fraud. Nigeria requested that the result be overturned and awarded as a forfeit under FIFA’s disciplinary rules.
The complaint was initially left without action. A further submission from Nigeria in March 2026 prompted FIFA’s legal department to examine the case, where it found that Mpasi had not completed the required change of association process.
The 31-year-old had represented France in youth internationals before choosing DR Congo at senior level. However, he had not finalised the administrative switch needed to be eligible for the Leopards.
FIFA disciplinary regulations state that a team fielding an ineligible player following a formal protest should lose the game by forfeit and receive a minimum fine of 6,000 Swiss francs, around €6,500. Previous cases of that kind have resulted in punishment for the side involved.
Instead, FIFA ruled Nigeria’s protest inadmissible on procedural and deadline grounds. DR Congo therefore retained its place in the next stage of qualifying.
The French season around it
Mpasi is Le Havre’s goalkeeper and the only Ligue 1-based figure directly implicated in the case. His club season now sits alongside an international administrative dispute with potentially huge consequences for DR Congo.
Had Nigeria’s challenge led to a forfeit, the Super Eagles could have taken DR Congo’s place in the intercontinental play-off against Jamaica in March. DR Congo went on to beat Jamaica 1-0 after extra time, with Mpasi in goal, to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
The case leaves a striking unresolved point: FIFA had identified the eligibility issue, but its procedural decision meant that neither the Nigeria result nor DR Congo’s subsequent World Cup place was altered.
