FIFA has confirmed it is closely monitoring the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which is less than a month away. The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has raised serious doubts about whether Sebastian Desabre’s side will be able to participate in the summer tournament.
The United States recently imposed travel bans on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan due to the Ebola outbreak. FIFA said in an official statement that the organization is “aware of and monitoring the situation regarding the Ebola outbreak and is in close contact with the Democratic Republic of the Congo Football Association to ensure teams are aware of all medical and safety guidelines.”
“FIFA continues to work with the governments of the three 2026 FIFA World Cup host countries, including the U.S. Department of State, CDC, Department of Homeland Security, Mexican Ministry of Health, and Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as the World Health Organization, to ensure a safe and secure tournament, as the health of everyone involved remains FIFA’s top priority.”
Currently, due to the ongoing Ebola outbreak, the United States is barring entry to non-Americans who have visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the past three weeks.
Nevertheless, State Department officials say it is understood that despite the ban, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s national team will still be allowed to travel to the United States through a special travel waiver.
“We hope that the Democratic Republic of the Congo national team will be able to participate in the World Cup,” the source told Al Jazeera.
They added, “We are working to include them in the same quarantine testing procedures as returning American citizens and permanent residents.”
The Democratic Republic of Congo canceled its planned training camp in Kinshasa, with a team spokesperson saying the “preparation program is proceeding as planned.”
A spokesperson for the Democratic Republic of Congo told Politico that “our team’s preparation program is proceeding as planned in Europe and in Houston.”
“It is the Kinshasa leg that has been canceled due to health restrictions.”
The Democratic Republic of the Congo defeated Jamaica in extra time in an inter-confederation play-off in March to qualify for the World Cup. They are scheduled to play warm-up friendlies against Denmark and Chile next month, before opening the tournament against Portugal in Houston on June 17.
The remaining two games in the group stage are against Colombia and Uzbekistan.
