Who is Lionel Mpasi? DR Congo goalkeeper who kept England's World Cup fate on edge with stunning saves

DR Congo's historic qualification for the 2026 World Cup knockouts narrated a tale of grit and resilience. The Leopards' journey may have ended in the Round of 32 against England on Wednesday.

Still, their performance in the tournament helped them establish themselves as one of the most captivating football teams worldwide.

Congo's Lionel Mpasi Nzau, in particular, emerged as one of the finest goalkeepers after putting up a standout performance against Harry Kane and the Three Lions, making stunning saves.

While England managed to seal a 2-1 win to advance, Mpasi Nzau threatened their World Cup fate and gave the English fans nightmares with his performance.

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Who is Lionel Mpasi?

Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi Nzau was born on August 1, 1994, to Congolese parents in Meaux, France, and currently represents the DR Congo national team. He had a youth career with PSG and is currently signed with Ligue 1 outfit Le Havre as the second-choice shot-stopper and has represented Toulouse and Rodez in the past.

The goalkeeper has stepped up and delivered whenever his team needed him.

Mpasi Nzau represented the French national team at the U17 level, but eventually decided to represent the country of his parents. He made his first national appearance in 2023 in a 2-0 victory against Gabon at AFCON qualifying, where he won the Man of the Match award.

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The goalkeeper has been Congo's starting goalkeeper since then and was selected by Sebastien Desabre for the 2026 World Cup. Nzau has featured in every match for the nation, putting up an impressive showing.

Mpasi reflects on Congo's round of 32 exit in World Cup

Mpasi Nzau had made four crucial saves during the England vs Congo World Cup round of 32 clash, putting pressure on the Three Lions as they were inching away from qualification. But Harry Kane netted a brace, scoring the winning goal late in the 86th minute to avoid a major upset.

The Congolese goalkeeper delivered one of the finest defensive performances in the 2026 World Cup. Even Jude Bellingham showed respect to Mpasi with a hug.

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"I offered my body to science. But we knew Harry Kane is a super striker and that we had to center on him. Too bad that twice we paid a little less attention to him.

"It is my job to help the team and make saves. Happily, I was able to make some during the game. I would have loved to save the two that turned into goals," Mpasi said after the match, as quoted by FOX Sports.

England's 2-1 victory helped them advance to the round of 16, while Congo's campaign ended in the round of 32.