Nigeria's 2026 World Cup dream may not be over after ineligibility complaint to FIFA

Martin Macdonald

18 Dec 2025 04:30 CST
4 min read

Nigeria still hope to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico after making an official complaint to FIFA about DR Congo.

Article continues under the video

In the first round of African qualifying, both Nigeria and DR Congo progressed to the next round without securing automatic qualification to the World Cup as they did not top their respective groups.

In the final of the second round, DR Congo defeated Nigeria on penalties after a 1-1 draw in neutral Rabat.

That allowed Les Léopards to qualify for the Intercontinental World Cup playoff which takes place in March.

But, Nigeria still hope to replace them in that match as they allege that DR Congo fielded ineligible players in their aforementioned CAF qualification fixture. They claim that "fraud" has taken place due to a number of opposition players who recently switched their national allegiance to the DR Congo from France.

If you can't win on the pitch don't try to win from the back door. The world Cup has to be played with dignity and confidence. Not with lawyers tricks. Bring it on. Allez y les Léopards. #RDC #RDCongo bad losers, #FIFA #RDC #RDCongo #Nigeria #CAFonline pic.twitter.com/RJNuv0TZfi
— Compte Officiel de Léopards (@fecofa_kinshasa) December 16, 2025

"Our contention is that FIFA was deceived into clearing them," said Nigeria Football Federation general secretary Mohammed Sanusi.

"The Congolese rule (law) says you cannot have dual nationality, but some of their players have European and French passports.

"There is what we consider to be a breach of (FIFA's) regulations. We are saying it was fraudulent."

The DR Congo federation disputes these claims.

In a social media post, the federation accused Nigeria of attempting to qualify for the World Cup "through the back door" while the Nigerians have sent legal documents and arguments to FIFA.

"If you can't win on the pitch don't try to win from the back door," the post read.

"The world Cup has to be played with dignity and confidence. Not with lawyers tricks. Bring it on. Allez y les Léopards. Bad losers."

Under FIFA rulings, players are allowed to hold a dual passport and play for a new country as long as the relevant documentation has been authorised. Players can only change allegiance one time in their careers.

Nigeria are looking to exploit a loophole in Congolese law which states a citizen cannot hold a dual passport.

According to the BBC, there are three possible outcomes.

- Dismissal: Fifa may find the NFF's evidence insufficient and close the case, leaving DR Congo's World Cup qualification intact.

- Investigation and administrative sanction: Fifa could investigate and, if it finds breaches in the clearance process, sanction the federation (eg fines, warnings) but leave results unchanged.

- Sporting sanctions: In the most serious cases, Fifa or the Confederation of African Football could order a forfeit or award the match to the other side, or deduct points in group-stage contexts. Historically, such sporting sanctions are applied when administrative or player-registration rules are clearly and materially breached, such as with falsification or deliberate misrepresentation.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•App Store