Gianni Infantino faces renewed scrutiny as Fifa lawyers reportedly knew in March that DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi was allegedly ineligible to play. According to sources from The New York Times and Le Monde, Fifa's legal team had even prepared a list of potential sanctions, including banning Mpasi and disqualifying DR Congo from their intercontinental play-off against Jamaica, which took place later that month.

Despite these findings, no action was taken, and Mpasi ended up representing DR Congo in the finals held in North America, where he participated in the team’s 2-1 defeat to England in the last 32.

This incident exacerbates the challenges faced by Infantino, following the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun, a striker for the United States, who was sent off and received a one-match ban. Fifa's disciplinary committee later suspended that ban, allowing Balogun to play in the last-16 match against Belgium. Notably, US President Donald Trump admitted to personally contacting Infantino to discuss Balogun's sanction, raising concerns over political interference within Fifa.

Fifa has denied any involvement by Infantino in the Balogun case, asserting that its disciplinary committee operates independently. In light of the allegations against Mpasi, Fifa has been asked for comments, while the confederation representing Jamaica emphasized that player eligibility matters should be handled consistently and fairly to maintain competition integrity.

Additionally, the Norwegian federation has filed complaints with Fifa’s ethics committee regarding the Balogun case, the controversial private investment plan, and the awarding of the Fifa Peace Prize to President Trump last year.