The Congolese team must isolate itself to enter the US for the World Cup amid the Ebola outbreak
US airports step up Ebola screening amid African outbreak
Health officials at US airports are using enhanced Ebola screening for travelers arriving from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is working with airlines to identify possible exposures following more than 130 deaths and nearly 600 suspected cases in Africa. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the response efforts of the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO).
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Congo is facing an outbreak of Ebola, and the executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, Andrew Giuliani, said that the Congolese soccer team must separate if they want to enter the United States in the world cup.
The United States told FIFA, the Congolese government and the soccer team, that they must isolate themselves for 21 days to enter the country in the World Cup. The team is currently training in Belgium and is scheduled to play two warm-up games there.
“We made it very clear to Congo that they had to maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they came 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 go to the United States. We will not be clear.”
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Congo’s Meschack Elia reacts during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Play-Off final match between Congo DR and Jamaica at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan, Mexico, on March 31, 2026. (Agustin Cuevas/Getty Images)
“We want to make sure that nothing will enter or near our borders here this time,” he said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was monitoring two American doctors who were quarantined in Europe after being exposed to Ebola, Giuliani said. He said they have discussed sending staff to Belgium to look after the Congolese team.
In Congo last week, they had a confirmed outbreak of Bundibugyo, a rare strain of Ebola. It is thought to have killed more than 130 people, with nearly 600 suspected cases.
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DR Congo’s Lens defender Arthur Masuaku and Malian midfielder Amadou Haidara attend a training session at the Stade de France Stadium in Saint-Denis on May 21, 2026, ahead of the French Cup final against Nice on May 22, 2026. (Frank Fife/AFP)
“If there are other people who will come in, they must have a different foam in that team. If they end up coming, and any of those people end up with a mark, they risk the whole team being able to come and compete in the World Cup,” said Giuliani.
The CDC announced this week that all foreign nationals who have been in Congo, Uganda and South Sudan in the past three weeks will be barred from entering the United States for 30 days.
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Renaldo Cephas of Jamaica and Brian Cipenga of Congo compete for the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 final match at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan, Mexico, on March 31, 2026. (Agustin Cuevas/Getty Images)
Congo canceled the team’s farewell to fans and a three-day World Cup training camp on Wednesday.
Congo is in Group K and is scheduled to play Portugal in its opening game in Houston on June 17. Their next two games are against Colombia in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 23, and Uzbekistan in Atlanta on June 27.
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