FIFA was aware of concerns over the eligibility of Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi before the World Cup but allowed him to continue playing, according to reports by The New York Times and Le Monde published on Tuesday.
The reports, citing internal FIFA documents, said the case of Mpasi has raised fresh questions about the governing body’s disciplinary and eligibility procedures.
According to the publications, the 32-year-old goalkeeper, who previously represented France at under-17 level, had not completed the required process to switch his international eligibility to Congo, despite having family ties to the country.
Mpasi went on to feature in all four of Congo’s matches at the World Cup, including the team’s 1-1 draw against Portugal, in which he faced Cristiano Ronaldo.
He had also played in five World Cup qualifying matches over the previous year, including Congo’s victory over Jamaica in March that secured the country’s place at the tournament for the first time in more than five decades.
The reports allege that Mpasi was therefore ineligible under FIFA regulations and that Congo could potentially have forfeited matches in which he played.
They further reported that FIFA documents indicated that if Congo’s qualifying results in the affected matches had been overturned, Burkina Faso could have advanced to the African playoffs instead.
The revelations have placed renewed attention on FIFA’s handling of player eligibility cases and the procedures used to investigate potential breaches of its regulations.
The reports did not indicate that FIFA had publicly ruled Mpasi ineligible before the World Cup, leaving questions over how the governing body handled the case and why the goalkeeper was permitted to continue representing Congo.
