Lionel Mpasi
.jpg) Mpasi with DR Congo at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lionel Mpasi Nzau | ||
| Date of birth | 1 August 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Meaux, France | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Le Havre | ||
| Number | 77 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2009 | Torcy | ||
| 2009–2011 | Paris Saint-Germain | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2012 | Paris Saint-Germain II | 3 | (0) |
| 2012–2016 | Toulouse II | 23 | (0) |
| 2016–2025 | Rodez | 128 | (1) |
| 2018–2020 | → Rodez II (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2025– | Le Havre | 4 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2010 | France U16 | 2 | (0) |
| 2011 | France U17 | 7 | (0) |
| 2011 | France U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2022– | DR Congo | 33 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15 February 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 1 July 2026 | |||
Lionel Mpasi Nzau (born 1 August 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as goalkeeper for Ligue 1 club Le Havre. Born in France, he plays for the DR Congo national team.
Early life
[edit]Mpasi was born in Meaux, in the eastern suburbs of Paris, to Congolese parents.[1][2] He acquired French nationality on 31 August 2000, through the collective effect of his father's naturalization.[3]
Club career
[edit]A youth product of PSG, Mpasi signed his first professional contract with Toulouse before moving to Rodez in 2016.[4] Mpasi made his professional debut with Rodez in a 0–0 Ligue 2 tie with Le Mans FC on 14 February 2020.[5]
On 13 July 2025, he signed a two-year contract with Le Havre, a Ligue 1 club, as the second-choice goalkeeper behind Mory Diaw, his former youth teammate at Paris Saint-Germain.[6][7]
On 18 January 2026, he made his debut for Le Havre in a Ligue 1 match against Rennes on Matchday 18 of the season. The match ended in a 1–1 draw.[8][9]
International career
[edit]Mpasi is a former youth international for France.[10] However, he decided to represent the home country of his parents, DR Congo. Being selected without appearing on the pitch, he finally debuted for the DR Congo national team in a 1–0 friendly loss to Bahrain on 1 February 2022.[11]
On 27 December 2023, he was selected from the list of 24 Congolese players selected by Sébastien Desabre to participate in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. As a full goalkeeper, he contested the three first-round matches, all ended in a tie against Zambia 1–1 and Morocco 1–1 and Tanzania 0–0, respectively. In the eighth final, against the Egypt team, with the game ending in a 1–1 draw, he scored the last shot at the goal in a sudden death penalty shootout after the opposing goalkeeper Gabaski sent his shot over the bar, giving Congo the win 8-7 on penalties.[12]
On 19 May 2026, he was included in the 26-man squad selected by head coach Sébastien Desabre to represent the DR Congo at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[13] Mpasi went on to start four games before DR Congo were knocked out by England in the round of 32.[14][15] During the group-stage, Mpasi conceded one goal to Portugal, but made eight saves and conceded one goal in the next match against Colombia. He made one save and conceded one goal during the match with Uzbekistan. When DR Congo faced England after reaching the round of 32 for the first time, Mpasi made multiple saves, including two against Jude Bellingham. However, Harry Kane scored two goals past Mpasi late in the match, resulting in England's victory.[16][17]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 15 February 2026[18]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| PSG II | 2010–11 | CFA | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2011–12 | CFA | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||||
| Toulouse II | 2012–13 | CFA 2 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||||
| 2013–14 | CFA 2 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||||
| 2014–15 | CFA 2 | 12 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 23 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 23 | 0 | ||||||
| Rodez | 2016–17 | CFA | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2017–18 | National | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| 2018–19 | National | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||||
| 2019–20 | Ligue 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21 | Ligue 2 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 0 | ||||
| 2021–22 | Ligue 2 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 37 | 0 | ||||
| 2022–23 | Ligue 2 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 27 | 0 | ||||
| 2023–24 | Ligue 2 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 0 | ||||
| 2024–25 | Ligue 2 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 128 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 137 | 1 | ||||
| Rodez II (loan) | 2018–19 | National 3 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 2019–20 | National 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||||
| 2020–21 | National 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||||||
| Le Havre | 2025–26 | Ligue 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 178 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 187 | 1 | ||
- ↑ Includes Belgian Cup, FA Cup, Taça de Portugal, Coupe de France
International
[edit]- As of match played 1 July 2026[19]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR Congo | 2022 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2026 | 9 | 0 | |
| Total | 33 | 0 | |
References
[edit]- ↑ Muko (20 January 2021). "Lionel Mpasi-Nzau (Rodez): "Représenter la patrie ? Ce serait un grand plaisir !"". LEOPARDSFOOT (in French). Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ↑ "Les Échos de Muko: Bolasie démarre fort, Bakagoal frappe pour la reprise, Mpoku décisif". 17 September 2019.
- ↑ "JORF n° 0203 du 2 septembre 2000 – Légifrance". legifrance.gouv.fr. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ↑ "Mpasi: "Redécouvrir le Stadium avec Rodez, c'est juste incroyable"". LesViolets.Com.
- ↑ "Le Mans vs. Rodez – 14 February 2020 – Soccerway". ca.soccerway.com.
- ↑ "Mercato : Le Havre officialise l'arrivée de Lionel Mpasi". L'Équipe (in French). 13 July 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
- ↑ Cassé, Josué (13 July 2025). "Le Havre s'offre Lionel Mpasi-Nzau". Foot Mercato (in French). Retrieved 13 July 2025.
- ↑ Sébastien Buron (18 January 2026). "Le PFC fait une belle opération à Nantes dans la course au maintien, Rennes freiné par Le Havre". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ↑ Cassé, Josué (18 January 2026). "Ligue 1 : le Stade Rennais accroché par Le Havre, le Paris FC enfonce Nantes". Foot Mercato (in French). Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ↑ Calabresi, Fabien. "Coupe de France – Lionel MPASI (Rodez): " Je me mets en mode compétition "". www.footpy.fr. Archived from the original on 23 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
- ↑ "Bahrain beat DR Congo in friendly | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN". DT News.
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MickyJnr__/status/1751756873378791774
- ↑ Pierre Desorgues (19 May 2026). "Coupe du monde 2026: la liste des 26 joueurs congolais sans nouveaux venus et sans Afimico Pululu fait réagir". tv5monde.com. TV5 Monde. Retrieved 23 May 2026..
- ↑ "Mobile livescore - Flashscore.mobi football scores". www.flashscore.mobi. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ Delaney, Miguel (1 July 2026). "England vs DR Congo LIVE: Superb Kane double saves Three Lions from humiliating World Cup exit". The Independent. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ Mader, Daniel (1 July 2026). "Who is Lionel Mpasi? Meet DR Congo goalkeeper stunning England in knockout stage". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ Busbee, Jay (1 July 2026). "Harry Kane's late brace saves England from stunning upset against DR Congo". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ Lionel Mpasi at Soccerway
- ↑ "Lionel Mpasi". National Football Teams.
External links
[edit]- Lionel Mpasi at Soccerway
- FFF Profile
DR Congo squads | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||
- 1994 births
- Living people
- Naturalized citizens of France
- Sportspeople from Meaux
- 21st-century French sportsmen
- French sportspeople of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent
- Black French sportspeople
- Democratic Republic of the Congo men's footballers
- French men's footballers
- Men's association football goalkeepers
- Democratic Republic of the Congo men's international footballers
- France men's youth international footballers
- 2023 Africa Cup of Nations players
- 2025 Africa Cup of Nations players
- 2026 FIFA World Cup players
- Ligue 1 players
- Ligue 2 players
- Ligue 3 players
- Championnat National 2 players
- Championnat National 3 players
- Rodez AF players
- Le Havre AC players
