US to allow DR Congo soccer team to compete in World Cup despite Ebola restrictions | World Cup 2026 news

The US has banned non-Americans who have traveled to DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the past 21 days from entering.

The United States will ensure that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) national soccer team enters the country to play in the World Cup, in response to an Ebola-related ban, a senior administration official said.

“We hope that the DRC team will be able to participate in the World Cup,” the official said, declining to be named.

The US has banned non-Americans who have been in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in the past 21 days from visiting the country because of the deadly Ebola outbreak.

The American official said that the DRC team, which is one of the three countries that participated in the major football tournament, had already trained in Europe, so they may not have received the ban.

But if they had been in the DRC 21 days ago, they would have been carefully vetted for US citizens to return.

“We are working to have them tested separately as returning American citizens and residents,” the official said.

The official said the exemption would not apply to everyday fans from the DRC who want to come and cheer on the team.

DRC will begin their World Cup campaign in Texas against Portugal on June 17.