The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has been ordered to undergo a 21-day isolation period before entering the United States for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, following concerns over an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the country. This directive requires the team to stay within a controlled training bubble in Belgium, where they are currently preparing for the tournament.
Reports indicate that the US authorities communicated this requirement to FIFA, the Congolese Football Federation, and officials in Kinshasa. The isolation is a precautionary measure aimed at preventing any potential health risks associated with the Ebola virus.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, confirmed the decision during an interview with ESPN. He emphasized the importance of maintaining strict controls around the team’s training environment.
“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 11th,” Giuliani told ESPN.
“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 United States. We cannot be any clearer.
“We want to make sure that there is nothing that’s going to come in or near our borders here on this,” Giuliani added.