The 2026 FIFA World Cup is just weeks away, but the Democratic Republic of Congo national football team has been hit with a major setback. The team has cancelled a planned pre-World Cup training camp in Kinshasa due to an Ebola outbreak in the country.
The outbreak, which was declared last Friday, has already caused 130 deaths and over 600 probable cases. In response, the team has relocated their training camp to Belgium, according to AFP.
The United States has banned non-Americans who have been in DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the previous 21 days from visiting due to the outbreak. However, a US official has informed AFP that the team will be allowed to travel to the country for the World Cup, citing their training in Europe.
DR Congo will be based in Houston during the tournament and will play their first Group K match against Portugal on June 17. The WHO has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, highlighting the challenges posed by a rare strain of Ebola with no vaccine.
