FIFA World Cup 2026 – Will the Ebola outbreak in Africa affect DR Congo’s preparations?

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s soccer team is trying to weather a national Ebola outbreak as it prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, though the team still expects to compete in North America this summer.

FIFA issued a statement that “it is aware and monitoring the situation regarding an Ebola outbreak and is communicating closely with the Congo DR Football Association to ensure the team is aware of all medical and safety guidelines.

“FIFA continues to work with the governments of all three 2026 FIFA World Cup host countries, including the U.S. Department of State, the CDC and Department of Homeland Security, the Mexican Secretariat of Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as the World Health Organization, to ensure a safe tournament as the health of all individuals involved remains FIFA’s priority.”

DR Congo canceled a planned training camp that was supposed to take place in the capital Kinshasa next Sunday.

“Our team’s preparation program is proceeding as planned in Europe and Houston,” a DR Congo spokesperson told Politico.com. “It is the Kinshasa stage that has been canceled due to health restrictions.”

The DR Congo team will make Houston its North American base this summer, with the opening Group K match against Portugal taking place in that city on June 17. DR Congo’s other group matches are against Colombia on June 23 in Zapopan, Mexico, and against Uzbekistan in Atlanta on June 27.

This was said by the chairman of the host committee of the World Cup in Houston, Chris Canetti USA today«As you can imagine, we are taking advice from FIFA and health officials on this matter. As of now, there are no changes to plans. The team’s arrival date is scheduled for June 11.»

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday suspended entry into the country for 30 days for people who have recently visited the sites of the Ebola outbreak: DR Congo, Uganda and South Sudan.

Satish Pillai, incident manager for the CDC’s Ebola response, said Tuesday, according to Politico.com: «We are actively working with FIFA to ensure safe travel, safe passage and that travelers and the American public remain safe all the time.»

Published on May 20, 2026