Not good news on the eve of the World Cup, with which FIFA leaders have decided to confront what has all the signs of an attempt to hide it. At least according to the reconstruction of the "New York Times", which pays extensive attention to the recent controversy related to the presidency of Gianni Infantino. According to the newspaper, the legal leaders of FIFA, the governing body of world football, had determined in confidence that the Democratic Republic of Congo was activating an ineligible player, according to internal documents and correspondence reviewed by journalists, as well as according to what was stated by a senior executive directly involved in the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Such a violation normally results in the forfeit of any match in which the ineligible player is on the roster. Congo needed one last win, in a play-off against Jamaica, to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 52 years. FIFA – the New York Times reported – quietly allowed the player and the team to continue participating. Congo effectively beat Jamaica and secured a place in the tournament. The 2026 World Cup has already put FIFA and Infantino under intense scrutiny, amid questions about fair play and political interference, especially after world soccer’s governing body lifted the suspension of a United States player (Balogun, ed.) following a phone call between Infantino and President Trump.
It later emerged that Infantino had entered into secret negotiations to sell a portion of future tournaments to a private fund managed by the brother of Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The scheme prompted UEFA - European football's governing body - to threaten criminal charges and raised questions about Infantino's future. FIFA's review of Congo's team came after a complaint was lodged by Nigeria over a player's eligibility. Congo had beaten Nigeria to qualify for the match against Jamaica. During its investigation into the complaint, FIFA found that Congo had never completed the necessary paperwork to allow goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi to change federations, after he had played for France's youth teams, according to the documents.
FIFA nuk ka mohuar asnjë nga përfundimet e “New York Times”, duke deklaruar vetëm se kishte rrëzuar ankesën e Nigerisë për një çështje procedurale. Në një email dërguar gazetës, organi qeverisës i futbollit botëror deklaroi se komitetet e tij janë “autonome dhe vendosin për çështjet mbi bazën e rregulloreve në fuqi dhe fakteve specifike të paraqitura për vlerësimin e tyre”. Gjithashtu, FIFA ka deklaruar se Infantino nuk ka pasur asnjë rol në këto vendime. Në rastin e Kongos, zyrtarët e FIFA-s kishin përgatitur disa opsione të mundshme, mes tyre t’i akordonin fitoren Nigerisë, të vendosnin gjoba, të zëvendësonin Kongon me Nigerinë në play-off-in kundër Xhamajkës ose të mos merrnin asnjë masë, me argumentin se Nigeria kishte paraqitur ankesën me vonesë, siç tregojnë dokumentet.
Çështja FIFA-Mpasi, precedentët
Korrespondenca e mëtejshme lidhur me hetimin, e shqyrtuar gjithashtu nga “New York Times”, përmbante detaje mbi veprimet e ndërmarra nga FIFA në raste të mëparshme që përputheshin me informacione tashmë të njohura publikisht. Një zyrtar ligjor i FIFA-s, i cili nuk ishte i përfshirë në këtë çështje, ka konfirmuar autenticitetin e dokumenteve të siguruara nga “New York Times”. Në vitin 2016, pasi Greqia kishte aktivizuar një lojtar të palejueshëm, i cili kishte përfaqësuar Australinë në nivel të ekipeve të moshave, FIFA kishte ndërhyrë me vendosmëri, duke përcaktuar humbjen 3-0 të Greqisë në ndeshjen kundër Turqisë.
Dy vite më vonë, FIFA kishte ndryshuar rezultatet e dy ndeshjeve të Bolivisë në eliminatoret e Botërorit 2018, pasi kishte përcaktuar se Bolivia kishte aktivizuar një lojtar që më parë kishte përfaqësuar Paraguajin. FIFA kontrollon eventin më të ndjekur të futbollit në botë, Botërorin e meshkujve, dhe turneu i vitit 2026 ka gjeneruar më shumë se 15 miliardë dollarë. Si organ qeverisës botëror, FIFA – ka theksuar gazeta amerikane – ushtron një ndikim të jashtëzakonshëm mbi futbollin. Humbja kundër Kongos ka pasur pasoja të mëdha për futbollin nigerian. Ndër pasojat ka qenë, pjesërisht, edhe dorëheqja e të gjithë bordit drejtues të federatës kombëtare të futbollit.
One of those leaders, federation president Ibrahim Musa Gusau, said he was informed that their appeal had been rejected on technical grounds, but was not made aware of FIFA’s assessment of the goalkeeper’s fitness. “They just kept quiet and couldn’t tell anyone because they knew it would be a huge crisis for them,” he said, referring to FIFA. He has called for an investigation. The New York Times has reviewed a document that matches Gusau’s description of FIFA’s response. The Congo affair will also bring attention to Infantino’s regional ties. As he tries to retain his position, Infantino will likely need African support. During his term, he has invested political capital and millions of dollars in development funds in 54 countries in the region. Most of these countries are expected to support Infantino in next year’s presidential elections.
"Infantino may have defended the preferred candidate"
FIFA has 211 members worldwide, each with one vote, so securing the African electorate could be crucial. At the time of FIFA’s eligibility check, Véron Mosengo-Omba, an Infantino ally, was preparing to run for president of the Congolese football federation. Two months later, amid euphoria over Congo’s World Cup qualification, Mosengo-Omba was the only candidate and was elected president of the federation. Eight other rivals had withdrawn or been expelled after changes to eligibility rules. Prince Zelkifli Rahman Ngoufonja, a former Cameroonian FIFA chief known as Prince Zul, said the relationship between Infantino and Mosengo-Omba was questionable. “If FIFA had excluded Congo from the World Cup,” Prince Zul said, the prospects of Infantino’s ally “could have been damaged.” Mosengo-Omba said he had not been aware of FIFA’s findings.
Jamaica, the team that Congo beat to secure World Cup qualification, did not respond to a request for comment on the news. Concacaf, the organization that oversees soccer in the Caribbean and North America, has expressed concern about the procedure. "Any doubts about the eligibility of players, especially those that could affect the integrity of a competition or the interests of one of our member associations, must be fully investigated and addressed," the organization said in a statement. This week, Infantino will meet African football leaders in Cape Verde, where he is expected to try to consolidate political support ahead of FIFA's presidential election. "Infantino needs Africa to survive," said Prince Zul. "He cannot afford to lose members" on the continent.
