With the Ebola outbreak, FIFA issues an emergency declaration.

VHO - The 2026 World Cup is facing a major health challenge as a serious Ebola outbreak has unexpectedly occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The complex nature of this virus, for which there is no vaccine, not only puts the tournament on high alert but also forces FIFA and the governments of the co-hosting countries to urgently implement a series of control measures to ensure the safety of the world's biggest football event.

The Ebola alert level has been raised to "international public health emergency".

The Ebola outbreak is threatening the tournament.

With less than a month to go, the 2026 World Cup has unexpectedly faced a major challenge as an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 130 people and left around 500 suspected cases.

Global health officials are particularly concerned about the rapid spread of the Bundibugyo virus, a dangerous strain for which there is currently no vaccine or specific treatment. The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has officially raised the alert level to "international public health emergency".

In response to this situation, the US government immediately imposed travel restrictions and entry bans on non-US citizens who had been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan within the past 21 days.

FIFA also quickly issued an official statement: “FIFA is aware of and is closely monitoring the situation regarding the Ebola outbreak, and is maintaining regular contact with the Football Association of the Democratic Republic of Congo to ensure the team is fully informed of all health and security guidelines.”

FIFA stressed that it is working closely with the WHO and the governments of the three co-hosting countries to ensure a safe tournament, prioritizing the health of all individuals.

The Ebola outbreak is threatening the Democratic Republic of Congo's chances of participating in the World Cup.

The US is making "special openings" for the Democratic Republic of Congo national team.

Despite tightening travel restrictions, a positive sign has emerged. US State Department officials announced that the Democratic Republic of Congo national team will be granted a special exemption to enter the United States.

A senior official told Al Jazeera: “We expect the Democratic Republic of Congo team to still be able to participate in the World Cup. We are working to put them through the same testing and quarantine process as U.S. citizens or permanent residents returning home.”

Currently, most Congolese players, such as Cedric Bakambu, Arthur Masuaku, and Chancel Mbemba, are scheduled to compete in Europe. Their extended training in Europe helps the team reduce the risks associated with the pandemic and may exempt them from potential bans.

This exception applies only to team members and does not extend to fans traveling from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the United States to support the team.

On the Democratic Republic of Congo's side, preparations have also had to be adjusted as the federation decided to completely cancel the training camp in the capital Kinshasa due to health regulations. However, a team spokesperson affirmed that the overall plan in Europe and Houston (USA) is still on schedule, the Leopards' qualification for the tournament is not threatened, and the entire team will depart for the USA on June 11th.

The challenging journey of "The Leopards" in Group K.

The 2026 World Cup holds immense historical significance for the Democratic Republic of Congo, as it marks only their second time qualifying for the tournament after a 52-year wait.

The African representatives are in Group K along with Portugal, Colombia, and Uzbekistan. According to the schedule, the Democratic Republic of Congo will play their opening match against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal team at 00:00 on June 18 (Vietnam time).

After that, they traveled to Guadalajara (Mexico) to face Colombia at 9:00 AM on June 24th before returning to the US to play their final group stage match against Uzbekistan in Atlanta at 6:30 AM on June 28th.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/dich-ebola-bung-phat-fifa-dua-ra-tuyen-bo-khan-cap-230017.html