A new predicament for Infantino thanks to the "Democratic Republic of Congo goalkeeper"

The circumstances of the case date back to November 2025, when, after losing to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on penalties in the African playoff final, the Nigerian Football Federation filed a protest demanding punishment for the Congolese side for fielding ineligible players, citing violations related to nationality and player documentation.

Initially, FIFA found no violations warranting punishment, but the legal team re-examined the file after the Nigerian Federation submitted a follow-up request in March 2026, revealing Mbassi's ineligibility to participate.

"Le Monde" noted that the player holds both French and Congolese nationalities and has participated in several matches with France's youth teams, while the procedures for changing national federations, which began in 2021, remained incomplete.

However, both newspapers reported that no action was taken, and Mbassi continued to play with the Democratic Republic of the Congo national team and participated with them in the World Cup in North America.

The North American, Central American, and Caribbean Football Confederation (CONCACAF), of which Jamaica is a member and was a competitor against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the global playoff, stated: "CONCACAF takes player eligibility matters very seriously and expects the regulations and procedures in place to be applied consistently and fairly across all competitions."

It added: "Any concerns regarding player eligibility, particularly those that may affect the integrity of a competition or the interests of one of our member federations, should be thoroughly reviewed and addressed through FIFA's appropriate governance and disciplinary bodies, in accordance with applicable regulations and due legal processes."

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) was also contacted for comment.

These reports increase the pressure on Infantino, following the case of American player Folarin Balogun, as well as his handling of a plan for private investment in a commercial entity managing FIFA tournaments, including the men's and women's World Cups.

Balogun's one-match suspension for receiving a red card was lifted by FIFA's disciplinary committee, allowing him to participate in the Round of 16 match against Belgium.

U.S. President Donald Trump later admitted that he made a personal call to Infantino to review the penalty, raising concerns about political interference in FIFA's affairs.

In that case, FIFA denied any interference by Infantino, asserting that the disciplinary committee operates independently.

The Norwegian Football Federation had also filed complaints with FIFA's ethics committee and the governance, audit, and compliance committee regarding Balogun's case, the private investor plan, and the awarding of last year's FIFA Peace Prize to Trump.

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The American newspaper "The New York Times" and the French newspaper "Le Monde" reported that FIFA lawyers discovered last March that Lionel Mbassi had doubts about his eligibility to represent the Democratic Republic of the Congo national team, and they recommended a range of possible sanctions, including the exclusion of the team from the global playoff qualifying for the World Cup against Jamaica later that month, and suspending Mbassi.

Mbassi previously represented France at youth level, which made his legal case regarding eligibility to represent the senior team a subject of controversy.

The circumstances of the case date back to November 2025, when, after losing to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on penalties in the African playoff final, the Nigerian Football Federation filed a protest demanding punishment for the Congolese side for fielding ineligible players, citing violations related to nationality and player documentation.

Initially, FIFA found no violations warranting punishment, but the legal team re-examined the file after the Nigerian Federation submitted a follow-up request in March 2026, revealing Mbassi's ineligibility to participate.

"Le Monde" noted that the player holds both French and Congolese nationalities and has participated in several matches with France's youth teams, while the procedures for changing national federations, which began in 2021, remained incomplete.

However, both newspapers reported that no action was taken, and Mbassi continued to play with the Democratic Republic of the Congo national team and participated with them in the World Cup in North America.

The North American, Central American, and Caribbean Football Confederation (CONCACAF), of which Jamaica is a member and was a competitor against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the global playoff, stated: "CONCACAF takes player eligibility matters very seriously and expects the regulations and procedures in place to be applied consistently and fairly across all competitions."

It added: "Any concerns regarding player eligibility, particularly those that may affect the integrity of a competition or the interests of one of our member federations, should be thoroughly reviewed and addressed through FIFA's appropriate governance and disciplinary bodies, in accordance with applicable regulations and due legal processes."

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) was also contacted for comment.

These reports increase the pressure on Infantino, following the case of American player Folarin Balogun, as well as his handling of a plan for private investment in a commercial entity managing FIFA tournaments, including the men's and women's World Cups.

Balogun's one-match suspension for receiving a red card was lifted by FIFA's disciplinary committee, allowing him to participate in the Round of 16 match against Belgium.

U.S. President Donald Trump later admitted that he made a personal call to Infantino to review the penalty, raising concerns about political interference in FIFA's affairs.

In that case, FIFA denied any interference by Infantino, asserting that the disciplinary committee operates independently.

The Norwegian Football Federation had also filed complaints with FIFA's ethics committee and the governance, audit, and compliance committee regarding Balogun's case, the private investor plan, and the awarding of last year's FIFA Peace Prize to Trump.