The apex world soccer’s governing body, FIFA, knew that the Democratic Republic of Congo fielded an ineligible player in the 2026 World Cup qualifier game played against the Super Eagles of Nigeria, The New York Times has learnt. adsbygoogle || []).push({});

The match, which was held in November 2025 in Rabat, Morocco, was the final of the CAF play-offs for a spot in the intercontinental tournament.

DR Congo won 4-3 on penalties after the match ended 1-1.

According to the report published on Tuesday, FIFA’s own legal officials had privately determined that Congo had breached player eligibility rules after goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi failed to complete the required documentation to switch his international affiliation from France, where he had represented youth teams.

Despite the finding, FIFA allowed Mpasi to continue playing, and Congo went on to defeat Jamaica in March to secure its first World Cup appearance in 52 years.

The development has raised fresh questions over FIFA’s handling of Nigeria’s complaint against Congo, which came after the Central African side defeated the Super Eagles on penalties in the African play-off final in November 2025.

The defeat condemned Nigeria to a second consecutive World Cup miss, after also missing out on the 2022 edition in Qatar.

In December 2025, the Nigeria Football Federation lodged a complaint with FIFA alleging that Congo had fielded players who were not properly eligible to represent the country.

The NFF’s complaint questioned the clearance of several foreign-born players, including Mpasi, and alleged that the Congolese federation had misled FIFA in securing their eligibility.

Documents and correspondence reviewed by The New York Times, alongside information from a senior official directly involved in the case, showed that FIFA officials had considered several possible sanctions against Congo, including awarding the match to Nigeria, imposing fines, replacing Congo with Nigeria in the play-off against Jamaica or taking no action on the grounds that Nigeria had filed its complaint late.

Under FIFA rules, fielding an ineligible player can result in a team forfeiting the match in which the player featured, as FIFA had previously taken a more decisive position in similar cases.

In 2016, FIFA sanctioned Greece after it fielded an ineligible player who had previously represented Australia at youth level, awarding a 3-0 defeat in its match against Turkey. Two years later, the governing body changed the results of two Bolivia World Cup qualifying matches after determining that Bolivia had fielded a player who had previously represented Paraguay.

At the time FIFA was reviewing the Congo eligibility case, Véron Mosengo-Omba, an ally of Infantino, was preparing to contest for the presidency of the Congolese football federation.

Two months later, following Congo’s qualification for the World Cup, Mosengo-Omba emerged as the sole candidate and was elected president after eight other contenders had either withdrawn or been disqualified following changes to eligibility rules.

Cameroonian former FIFA official Prince Zelkifli Rahman Ngoufonja, popularly known as Prince Zul, said the relationship between Infantino and Mosengo-Omba raised questions over the potential consequences of FIFA removing Congo from the World Cup.

“If FIFA removed Congo from the World Cup,” he said, Infantino’s ally’s prospects “could have been damaged.”

Mosengo-Omba, however, said he was unaware of FIFA’s findings regarding Mpasi’s eligibility.
The Punch

Emotions ran high at the Estadio Monumental on Tuesday night as Lionel Messi signed off from international football the only way he knows how — with a goal, two assists and a stadium in tears.

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In his 208th and final game for Argentina, the 39-year-old led La Albiceleste to a 3-0 friendly win over Benin in what was billed as “The Last Tango” — a farewell in front of 85,000 adoring fans.

It was a script written for the GOAT.

After a goalless first half, Messi delivered two moments of magic. In the 48th minute, his corner found fellow retiree Nicolas Otamendi, 38, who fired home the opener. In the 61st minute, he set up 22-year-old Nico Paz — touted as one of his heirs — from the edge of the box.

Then came the finale. In the 71st minute, after Agustin Giay was fouled in the box, Messi stepped up and emphatically dispatched a penalty into the roof of the net for his 126th and final international goal, sparking a deafening chant of “Messi, Messi.”

The Inter Miami forward, who wore a special kit for the occasion, leaves as Argentina’s all-time record appearance maker and top scorer with 126 goals and 69 assists in 208 caps over 21 years.

His glittering international career includes the 2008 Olympic gold, Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024, the 2022 Finalissima, and the ultimate prize — the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where he also won the Golden Ball. He was a World Cup finalist in 2014 and again this summer, when Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in New Jersey.

The night was pure theatre. Messi arrived in tears as the team bus crawled through crowds to the stadium, took to the pitch holding hands with his three children, and wept again during the national anthem sung by Falklands War veteran Fabio Santana. His wife Antonela Roccuzzo and mother Celia Cuccittini watched from a VIP box, while a giant Argentina jersey with “Gracias” and No.10 was unfurled on the pitch.

After the final whistle, the sky above the Monumental lit up with a drone show reliving his career — ending with the iconic image of him lifting the World Cup.

An emotional Messi told fans: “It was a huge source of pride for me to defend this jersey for more than 20 years. Not coming anymore is going to be deeply painful. I swear I’d like to play for the rest of my life, because playing for the Argentina national team is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you.”

Messi announced his international retirement on August 31, citing the gruelling 2026 World Cup campaign and the illness and subsequent death of his father Jorge as factors. He remains under contract with Inter Miami until 2028.

As he said himself on Tuesday: “Now I’m here on the saddest day of my career, which is the day I have to say goodbye to the national team. But now I’ll be on that side, with the fans, supporting all the boys. Always united.”

Defending champion, Abdulmumeen Jimoh will be among the top contenders as the Lekki Scrabble Classics beginning on Saturday in Lagos.
According to NAN, the two-day championship will be taking place at the Peninsula Hotel, Lekki from Saturday, September 26, 2026 to Sunday, September 27, with players competing in Divisions A and B.

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Jimoh, popularly known as the “Scrabble Assassin” has been in impressive form, winning titles in recent championships.
However, he faces a tough task as several top players will be aiming to dethrone him and claim the title he won last year.
Jomoh, is expected to battle through 18 rounds of games in his bid to retain the title.
The defending champion will also begin his campaign against Khaleel Adedeji, in the opening round.
Other leading contenders include Grand Master John Ayedun, current African champion Oluwatimilehin Doko, Tega Okiemute, Hakeem Olaribigbe and Ghanaian Charles Tachie-Menson.
Tachie-Menson won the Lekki Scrabble Classics title in 2024.
The tournament will also introduce a Children’s Category for players under 12 years.
Organisers of the championship said the new category was a strategic platform for discovering and nurturing young players for the future.
Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA) and the World English-Language Scrabble Players Association have rated the tournament