Democratic Republic of the Congo have reportedly refused to comply with a request from the United States that required the team to enter the ua 21 days of isolation the period before traveling to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The directive comes amid concerns over the country’s Ebola outbreak, with US authorities warning that failure to comply with strict health measures could prevent the Congolese delegation from entering the country.
Despite the warning, DR Congo officials insist their preparations for the World Cup will continue as planned.
US issues stern ‘bubble’ warning.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House World Cup Task Force, confirmed that the team had been instructed to maintain a controlled “bubble” for three weeks before arriving in the United States.
“We made it clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can come to Houston on June 11,” Giuliani told ESPN.
“We have also made it clear to the Congolese government that they must maintain that bubble or risk not being able to travel to the United States. We couldn’t be more clear.”
The warning follows an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in DR Congo, which has sparked heightened international concern.
Continuation of friendly matches despite the threat
Despite the US stance, the Congolese federation has no intention of changing its schedule ahead of the tournament.
The team is still expected to face Denmark in Belgium on June 3 before traveling to Spain for a friendly against Chile on June 9.
According to Reuters, a team spokesman said: “We have kept our training programme. No players in the team have come from DR Congo. The friendlies are still on schedule. The only change to the program is the cancellation of the leg in Kinshasa.”
The federation claims that the entire team and coaching staff are from Europe, thus reducing the risk of exposure.
WHO raises Ebola risk level
Diplomatic tensions have intensified after the World Health Organization raised the risk level of the outbreak to “very high”.
Nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths are reportedly linked to the outbreak in DR Congo, prompting heightened surveillance by global health authorities.
DR Congo are set to open their World Cup campaign against Portugal on June 17 in Houston before facing Colombia and Uzbekistan in the group stage.
Any decision by US authorities to block the entry of teams could create major disruption to the tournament just weeks before it begins.
