WASHINGTON, D.C, USA: Members of Congo’s national football team must complete a 21-day isolation period before being permitted to enter the United States for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, due to an Ebola outbreak in their home country.
The White House has made it abundantly clear: break the bubble, and you will not be allowed in.
🚨REPORT: White House World Cup task force says Congo’s national team must isolate for 21 days or potentially be denied entry to the USA pic.twitter.com/tEAKzsBF4z
— Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) May 22, 2026
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, confirmed on Friday that the Congolese delegation must maintain a “bubble” at their current training base in Belgium. Failure to comply could result in them being denied entry into the US.
Strict US stance
“We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on June 11,” Giuliani said.
“We’ve made it very clear to the Congo government as well, that they need to maintain that bubble or they risk not being able to travel to the United States. We cannot be any clearer.”
Giuliani emphasised that the United States is taking no chances when it comes to health and safety issues surrounding the World Cup.
“We want to make sure that there is nothing that’s going to come in or near our borders here on this,” he said.
Congo squad in strict 21-day bubble before World Cup travel to US 🇺🇸⚽
The Congolese national football team must remain in a 21-day isolation “bubble” in Belgium due to an Ebola outbreak at home before entering the United States for the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/ngMbk9Vdhy
— SportsManch (@thesportsmanch) May 22, 2026
Congo’s World Cup schedule
Congo is placed in Group K for this summer’s World Cup in North America. Their group stage fixtures are as follows:
June 17: vs Portugal in Houston
June 23: vs Colombia in Guadalajara, Mexico
June 27: vs Uzbekistan in Atlanta
The team is scheduled to arrive in Houston on June 11, provided they successfully complete the isolation period.
Ebola crisis back home
Earlier this month, Congo confirmed an outbreak of a rare form of Ebola called Bundibugyo. According to health officials, more than 130 people have died among nearly 600 suspected cases.
In response to the crisis, Congo cancelled its training camp in the capital city of Kinshasa and relocated to Belgium. The team has a friendly scheduled against Denmark in Liege on June 3, followed by another friendly against Chile in southern Spain on June 9.
Squad based in Europe
All of Congo’s team members, along with French head coach Sebastien Desabre, are based outside the Central African country. Most play professionally in Europe, including:
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham United, England)
Yoane Wissa (Newcastle United, England)
Chancel Mbemba (captain) (Lille, France)
A fragile path to the World Cup
For Congo’s players, the journey to the World Cup has now become a precarious balancing act between athletic ambition and public health reality.
With their nation battling a deadly epidemic, the team must remain in a controlled environment far from home, and pray that no one breaks the bubble before they can step onto the pitch in Houston.
