The United States has barred entry to non-Americans who have visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan in the past 21 days.
Published May 19, 2026
The United States will ensure that the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) soccer team is exempt from an Ebola-related travel ban and allowed to enter the country for the World Cup, a senior State Department official said.
“We hope that the Democratic Republic of the Congo team will be able to participate in the World Cup,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
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The United States has banned non-Americans from visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the past 21 days in response to the deadly Ebola outbreak.
U.S. officials said the Democratic Republic of Congo’s team, the only one of the three countries to qualify for soccer’s premier event, was already training in Europe and might not have been subject to the suspension anyway.
But if they had indeed been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the past 21 days, they would be subject to the kind of rigorous testing required for U.S. citizens to return home.
“We are working to bring them through the same isolation and testing procedures as returning U.S. citizens and permanent residents,” the official said.
The official said the exemption does not apply to everyday fans from the Democratic Republic of Congo who are coming to support their team.
DRC will begin their World Cup campaign against Portugal in Texas on June 17th.
