FIFA World Cup 2026: US demands isolation of DR Congo delegation due to Ebola

(AFP) The Democratic Republic of the Congo national team, which will contest the World Cup 2026, must remain in isolation for 21 days before being cleared to enter the United States because of the Ebola outbreak in the African country, U.S. officials said Friday.

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House World Cup Task Force, told ESPN that U.S. authorities informed the FIFA, the Congolese national team and the government in Kinshasa about the obligation to maintain a "health bubble" in Belgium.

The Congolese players are currently training in the Belgian city of Liège, where they are carrying out their preparation ahead of the tournament that kicks off on June 11.

"We have been very clear with Congo that they must maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can come to Houston on June 11," Giuliani told ESPN.

"We've also made it very clear to the government of Congo that they must maintain that bubble or they risk not being able to travel to the United States. We can't be any clearer."

"If others come to join the national team, they must remain in a different bubble than the team," Giuliani maintained.

"If they eventually arrive and any of those people develop symptoms, it puts the entire team's participation in the World Cup at risk," he warned.

In a statement sent to AFP, Giuliani confirmed that the White House urged the team to "protect" its players from "unnecessary exposures" and to "preserve the integrity" of its bubble.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, whose base camp will be in Houston, Texas, makes up Group K. It will face Portugal on June 17 in Houston, then Colombia on June 23 in Guadalajara, Mexico, and finally Uzbekistan on June 27 in Atlanta.