Nigeria vs DR Congo: FIFA issues final verdict on the 2026 World Cup case SHARE FIFA has made their final decision on the 2026 World Cup eligibility appeal that surfaced after the Nigeria vs DR Congo playoffs. Nigeria’s lingering hopes of a "backdoor" qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been officially extinguished following a decisive update from world football’s governing body. On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, FIFA released the final list of participants for the upcoming inter-confederation play-off tournament, confirming the Democratic Republic of Congo as the sole representative for Africa. The announcement effectively dismisses a formal petition filed by the Nigeria Football Federation, which had challenged the eligibility of certain Congolese players following the Super E...