DR Congo team isolates in Belgium under Ebola travel rules for World Cup

The Democratic Republic of Congo national football team has shifted its World Cup build-up to Belgium after U.S. Ebola travel rules made Houston contingent on a 21-day isolation period. The move has turned a tournament schedule into a test of public-health containment, with Washington drawing a hard line just weeks before the team’s first match.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has imposed a 30-day travel restriction on non-U.S. passport holders who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the previous 21 days. U.S. citizens are not covered by the entry restriction, but the rule leaves the Congolese delegation needing to stay clear of affected countries long enough to avoid being blocked from the United States. The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa said American citizens and lawful permanent residents heading to the United States after being in the affected countries must enter through Washington Dulles International Airport for enhanced screening.

The White House and FIFA have been working to keep the Congolese side eligible for its training camp and World Cup matches, but the public-health threshold remains strict. The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, 2026, citing the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The agency said the event is not classified as a pandemic. By May 21 and 22, health officials were reporting roughly 600 suspected cases and between 139 and 159 suspected deaths, depending on the source, with Congo’s health ministry putting the toll at 159 in state media reporting.

The team had planned a three-day training camp and public farewell in Kinshasa, including an event with President Félix Tshisekedi, but canceled those plans after no Ebola cases were reported in the capital. Preparations were moved to Belgium, where the squad was scheduled to play Denmark on June 3, then Chile in Spain on June 9. The team was expected to reach Houston around June 10 or 11, ahead of its first World Cup match on June 17 against Portugal.

The restriction carries unusual weight for Congo because this is the country’s first World Cup appearance since 1974, when it competed as Zaire. Most of the 26-player squad is based at clubs in Europe, which may blunt the impact on players themselves, but not on staff or supporters who recently spent time in Congo. For Washington, the decision sets a precedent: in an outbreak with international reach, the path to a global sporting event may now run through quarantine rules before it reaches the pitch.