US Demands 21 Day Isolation for DR Congo World Cup Squad Over Ebola Fears

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are continuing their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite growing concerns around travel restrictions, as questions emerge over “US asks Congo team to isolate” following health-related advisories linked to “Congo team ebola fears”.

United States officials have informed the Congolese delegation that strict pre-travel protocols may be required ahead of the tournament. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, said the team would need to maintain a controlled training environment in Belgium and complete a 21-day isolation period before entering the United States, or risk facing entry restrictions.

The DRC squad are scheduled to be based in Houston for the tournament and have already mapped out their group-stage fixtures. They will open their campaign against Portugal on June 17, before facing Colombia in Guadalajara on June 23 and Uzbekistan in Atlanta on June 27.

“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,” said Giuliani.

“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.”

No change in Congo preparations

Despite the warning, team officials say preparations remain unchanged. The squad continues to train in Europe, with camps based in Belgium and scheduled friendly matches in Spain still going ahead.

A team spokesperson said: “We have kept our training programme. No player in the squad has come from DR Congo.”

Most of the squad is based outside the country, primarily in European clubs, along with head coach Sébastien Desabre. A small number of officials travelled from DR Congo earlier to join the training camp.

A planned visit to Kinshasa as a farewell event before the World Cup has now been cancelled due to logistical and health concerns.

Health Concerns Under Global Monitoring

The situation comes as international health agencies continue to monitor an Ebola outbreak in Central Africa. The World Health Organization has raised the risk level to “very high”, citing hundreds of suspected cases and rising fatalities in DR Congo and neighbouring Uganda.

World Cup organisers are expected to remain in close coordination with health authorities as preparations continue.