FIFA has confirmed it is keeping a close eye on an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of the nation's 2026 World Cup campaign, which gets underway next month. While the football world has been gripped this week by Arsenal's first Premier League title triumph in 22 years and the EFL's dramatic decision to expel Southampton from the Championship Playoff Final and reinstate Middlesbrough in the wake of 'Spygate', the 2026 World Cup is now less than a month away.
However, an Ebola outbreak in DR Congo has raised serious doubts over whether Sébastien Desabre's squad will be able to take part in the summer tournament. The US has recently imposed a travel ban on DR Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan in response to the escalating outbreak.
The World Health Organisation confirmed on Wednesday that the Ebola risk in DR Congo is high, but it's currently not a pandemic emergency, with several dozen confirmed cases, almost 600 suspected cases of the virus and 139 suspected deaths.
A statement from FIFA, meanwhile, read: "Aware of and monitoring the situation regarding an Ebola outbreak and is in close communication with the Congo DR Football Association to ensure that the team are made aware of all medical and security guidance.
"FIFA continues to work with all three FIFA World Cup 2026 host countries' governments, including the US Department of State, CDC and Department of Homeland Security, Mexico's Secretariat of Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as with the World Health Organization, to ensure a safe and secure tournament, as the health of all individuals involved remains FIFA's priority."
Currently, the U.S. has prohibited non-Americans from entering the country who have visited DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the past three weeks, owing to the Ebola outbreak.
However, it is understood that in spite of the travel ban, DR Congo's national team will be permitted to enter the U.S. through a travel exemption, according to a Department of State official.
"We expect the DRC team to be able to attend the World Cup," the official told Al Jazeera.
They added: "We're working to get them into the same protocol for testing in isolation that American citizens returning and permanent residents would be."
DR Congo has scrapped its planned training camp in Kinshasa, with a team spokesperson telling Politico.com their preparation program is proceeding as planned.
