FIFA has kicked off the final 100-day countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup but remains tight-lipped on the disciplinary case involving Nigeria and DR Congo.
In a post on its official 𝕏 account on Tuesday, the world football body declared: “The biggest-ever @FIFAWorldCup is just 100 days away! 48 teams. 104 games. 11 June to 19 July.”
It added that 11 June 2026 will mark “the opening scene to the greatest show in the world,” with Mexico set to face South Africa in the curtain-raiser.
Yet amid the fanfare, there was no mention of Nigeria’s protest over its dramatic exit from the qualifiers.
The dispute stems from November 2025, when the Super Eagles lost to DR Congo on penalties in the African playoff final, handing the Congolese side a spot in the intercontinental playoffs.
In December, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) petitioned FIFA, alleging that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during the qualifiers.
The NFF argued that former England youth internationals Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe featured for DR Congo despite Congolese laws prohibiting dual citizenship and in breach of FIFA eligibility regulations.
More than two months on, and with DR Congo due to face either Jamaica or New Caledonia in the intercontinental playoffs later this month, FIFA has yet to deliver a verdict. The governing body had earlier confirmed the matter was under review.
The silence has fuelled frustration among Nigerian football stakeholders and supporters, who say the uncertainty is unsettling as the World Cup draws closer.
