Ebola Threat: Congo National Team Risks Missing the 2026 World Cup

The United States authorities have required the Democratic Republic of the Congo national football team to undergo a 21-day isolation period (quarantine) prior to entering the country ahead of the start of the 2026 World Cup. This decision was made due to the spread of the Ebola virus and the deteriorating sanitary and epidemiological situation in the African country. According to the DW news agency, if this requirement is not met, the team could be banned from entering US territory.

As stated by Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House special task force for tournament preparation, government agencies are taking all necessary sanitary measures to prevent the entry and spread of the dangerous infection into the country. Rejecting the official requirement could potentially restrict the national team's ability to participate in the global tournament.

According to the latest reports from the World Health Organization (WHO), 82 cases of Ebola virus infection have been officially confirmed in the DR Congo, with 7 deaths registered. Additionally, about 750 suspected cases showing symptoms of the disease and 177 potential deaths from the infection are currently being investigated.

Based on the report by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the risk of infection within the Congolese nation is assessed as "very high." While the risk level remains high for Sub-Saharan African countries, the global epidemiological threat is characterized as low for now.

Efforts to contain and suppress the epidemic in Congo are being complicated by political instability and armed conflicts in the eastern part of the country. Some regions remain under the control of rebel groups, and the dense concentration of millions of internally displaced persons in special camps poses a significant obstacle to establishing sanitary control.