2026 World Cup: US govt gives DR Congo condition to play in tournament

The executive director of the White House Task Force for the 2026 World Cup, Andrew Giuliani, has stated that the Republic of Congo’s national team must quarantine for 21 days or face restrictions on entering the United States for the tournament.

Congo is currently confronting an Ebola outbreak.

Giuliani said the U.S. has also notified FIFA and the Congolese government that the players and officials must remain in a bubble while in Belgium.

The team is preparing for the World Cup in Belgium, where they are scheduled to play two warm‑up matches.

“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.”