Danger for Ronaldo. America allows national team entry despite Ebola outbreak

Despite the strict health measures taken by the United States of America against the spread of the Ebola virus, it will allow entry into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which participates World Cup 2026 Portugal in the group.

Earlier Monday, Washington announced a tightening of health measures at its borders to combat the Ebola virus, barring the entry of foreigners who have visited Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo or South Sudan in the past 21 days.

But an American official confirmed, as highlighted by the French network RMC, that the national team of the Democratic Republic of Congo will be able to participate in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, despite the spread of the epidemic in the country.

“We expect that the Democratic Republic of Congo will be able to participate in the World Cup,” said a US State Department official, preferring to remain anonymous.

The American official explained that the Congolese national team is already training in Europe, and therefore the above criteria for the ban may not apply to it.

He added that even if a team member travels to his home country within 21 days of entering the United States, he would be granted a waiver that would allow him to enter, but he would be subject to strict health procedures, including the “same protocol of screening and isolation” that applies to Americans returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

But at the same time, he emphasized that this exception will not include the Congolese masses.

The national team camp of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is scheduled to take place in Houston, Texas, where the team is placed in Group 11, which includes Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan.

The Congolese national team will face Portugal on June 17 in Houston, then Colombia on June 24 in Guadalajara, Mexico and finally Uzbekistan on June 28 in Atlanta.

The American official did not address the issue of the team’s entry into Mexico.

The Panthers qualified for the World Cup for the second time since Zaire’s participation in 1974, defeating Jamaica 1–0 in the continental play-off on 31 March.