The DR Congo’s national team has been 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.
DR Congo are currently holding their preparations in Belgium after their planned training camp in Kinshasa was cancelled due to health and safety concerns linked to the outbreak.
Speaking to ESPN, Executive Director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, Andrew Giuliani, said strict health protocols must be followed before the team can travel to Houston on June 11.
“We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on June 11,” Giuliani said.
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“We’ve made it very clear to the Congo government, as well, that they need to maintain that bubble or they risk not being able to travel to the US. We cannot be any clearer.”
Initial plans for an open training session and a send-off ceremony involving President Félix Tshisekedi were also affected following the 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 around 176 lives in DR Congo.
