New scolding in FIFA involves scenario that would have changed everything to Portugal

Jit's been three months since the World Cup ended, but the polemics continue to appear in catadupa. The most recent one was brought to the public this Tuesday by the American newspaper The New York Times, and began in november 2025, at the final stretch of the african clearance phase for what is the largest international football selection competition.

Nigeria was defeated by the Democratic Republic of Congo in the tie-breaker for major penalties, and was left out of the race for access to evidence held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, but attempted to reverse the scenario in the secretariat, claiming that the opponent had misused Lionel Mpasi.

The body led by Gianni Infantino investigated the case and concluded that, in fact, the Democratic Republic of Congo never presented the complete documentation necessary for the use of the goalkeeper, as it had already represented the young selections of France in the past. However, he chose to do nothing, discarding it for technical reasons.

On the table, there were a number of scenarios, including the award of victory to Nigeria or the imposition of fines, scenarios that were not confirmed. This, despite the various backgrounds in similar cases, namely, when he annulled the points conquered by Bolivia before Peru and Chile, on the journey to the World Cup of 2018, for the misuse of Nelson Cabrera.

Thus, the French coach Sébastien Desabre was able to continue using Lionel Mpasi without any embarrassment, as it would eventually happen, on 31 March, when he helped him get the better of Jamaica at the intercontinental playoff, played at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, to stamp his passport for the 2026 World Cup.

In response to the questions posed by the publication, the director led by Gianni Infantino ensured that it had nothing to do with the final decision, since the committees highlighted are “autonomous and decide on cases on the basis of the applicable regulations and the specific facts presented to them”. There's still someone who doesn't believe the story was that.

This is the case of Prince Zelkifli Rahman Ngoufonja, a former FIFA leader known as Prince Zul, who raised questions about the relationship that the Italian-Switzerland lawyer maintains with Véron Mosengo-Omba, who would be elected president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, to the point of considering him one of his most faithful “allies”. This relationship would have been “damaged” if the decision were otherwise.

Everything could have been different for Portugal

This controversy ended up having a right effect... in Portugal, which, remember, failed to go beyond a tie to a ball with the Democratic Republic of Congo, at the start of the World Cup, a result that would ultimately cost it the qualification for the 16th years of the final of the leader's condition, since it was two points away from the leader, Colombia.

The second position placed the national team on the way to Croatia, an opponent who struck, for 2-1, before being eliminated by Spain (who would become world champion), in the ‘eighths’, for 0-1. The coffeepots, for their part, took the best over Ghana by 1-0, before ‘tombar’ before Switzerland, precisely in the same phase, in the tie-off for major penalties.