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The Democratic Republic of Congo’s national team was instructed to isolate for 21 days before being allowed to enter the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, amid concerns surrounding the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the country.
The DRC is currently carrying out its preparations in Belgium after its planned training camp in Kinshasa was canceled due to health and safety concerns related to the outbreak.
Speaking to ESPN, White House World Cup Task Force Executive Director Andrew Giuliani said strict health protocols must be followed before the team can travel to Houston on June 11.
“We have been very clear with the Congo that they must maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can come to Houston on June 11,” Giuliani said.
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“We have also made it very clear to the Congolese government that they need to maintain that bubble or risk not being able to travel to the United States. We couldn’t be clearer.”
Initial plans for an open training and farewell ceremony involving president Félix Tshisekedi were also affected following changes to the team’s preparation schedule.
According to global health reports, the Democratic Republic of the Congo currently accounts for 97.6% of all confirmed Ebola cases and 99.7% of suspected cases worldwide during the ongoing 2026 outbreak.
So far, the outbreak is suspected to have claimed some 176 lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
