Ebola Risk At World Cup Is Low, Says Global Health Academic

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in June — and HuffPost will be live-blogging every twist, turn and controversy from the buildup through the final of what’s widely shaping up to be the most political soccer tournament of all time.From the action on the pitch to the potential chaos off it, the storylines are already piling up: Iran’s possible non-participation amid Donald Trump’s war, the president’s close relationship with FIFA’s Peace Prize-awarding President Gianni Infantino, and simmering tensions between the U.S. and fellow host nations Mexico and Canada fueled by Trump’s tariffs and divisive rhetoric.Trump’s travel bans could keep some fans out, there’s been fury over soaring ticket prices, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents could be present at games as the Trump administration continues its anti-immigration crackdown.Not to mention extreme heat concerns that scorched all those involved the last time the U.S. hosted the tournament some 32 years ago, in 1994.And that’s all before a ball has been kicked.U.S. President Donald Trump received the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino in December.Andrew Harnik via Getty ImagesOn the field, the men’s national teams from 48 countries will compete in a record 104 matches across the three host nations in what will be the biggest World Cup in history.Mexico will take on South Africa at the iconic Mexico City Stadium in the opening game on June 11. The U.S. will play Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12, Australia in Seattle on June 19 and Turkey back in Los Angeles on June 25, in the group games, before potentially competing in the later knockout rounds.The final will be held on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, which is being temporarily rebranded as the New York/New Jersey Stadium for the competition.Current European champions Spain are favorites to lift the trophy. Defending champions Argentina, of Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi fame, along with France, England and Brazil, are also expected to be in the mix.Check out the full games schedule on the FIFA website.Follow along with our coverage below:Ebola Risk At World Cup Is Low, Says Global Health AcademicThe risk of Ebola affecting fans at the World Cup is low, according to Dr Oliver Johnson, a global health academic at King's College London, but heightened screening and travel restrictions could complicate logistics.The expanded 48-team tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, runs from June 11 to July 19.An Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded around 600 suspected cases and more than 130 deaths, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern.The situation has already disrupted DR Congo's World Cup preparations. The team cancelled pre-tournament events in Kinshasa and relocated plans to Belgium.U.S. authorities have also barred entry to non-U.S. passport holders who have been in DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the past 21 days, forcing Congo-based staff to depart early.The squad is due to arrive in the U.S. on June 10 or 11 and will be based in Houston."If you are a casual visitor to the World Cup from around the world, I think there is a very low risk that you would be at risk of Ebola," Johnson told Reuters. "Ebola has never really caused transmission in high-income country settings, where there have been very occasional cases."That is because it is not airborne. You had to normally have direct contact with someone who is quite sick, and there is usually good contact tracing. If a case does occur, it is identified quickly."Johnson said the outbreak could still have broader implications.U.S. authorities have introduced enhanced screening for travellers arriving at Washington Dulles who have recently been in affected countries, while health agencies are working with FIFA and local officials to manage potential risks."It will affect things like airport queues and screening, which will slow things down," Johnson said. "It is going to add a little extra stress and it's going to cost money to the U.S. to try and organise."I think the other possibility is that we hope this outbreak is not going to spread beyond DR Congo.... That could cause a knock-on effect of travel bans or extra screening, and it could happen quite last minute."Fans travelling to the tournament should follow basic precautions such as good hand hygiene and avoiding close contact if unwell, Johnson added. He advised supporters to respect others and avoid stigma, helping preserve the inclusive spirit of the World Cup.DR Congo open their campaign against Portugal in Houston before facing Colombia in Guadalajara and Uzbekistan in Atlanta.Latest Live UpdatesNotable Stars Left Out Of England World Cup SquadEngland will head to next month's World Cup without several familiar faces after midfielders Phil Foden and Cole Palmer missed the cut as manager Thomas Tuchel announced his squad on Friday.Manchester City's Foden and Chelsea's Palmer had both been vying for the No.10 role but have found themselves overtaken in Tuchel's pecking order after disappointing seasons.Real Madrid right back Trent Alexander-Arnold was also overlooked, having featured only once since Tuchel took charge in 2025.There was a surprise recall for striker Ivan Toney, who has not featured for England for 12 months while Brentford's veteran midfielder Jordan Henderson goes to his fourth World Cup.Manchester United centre back Harry Maguire, a mainstay of England's defence at recent tournaments, was also omitted, and there was no place for Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White despite an impressive season.England are one of the main favourites for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.They are in Group L with Croatia, Ghana and Panama.Squad:Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Man City).Defenders: Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), John Stones (Man City), Marc Guehi (Man City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Nico O'Reilly (Man City), Djed Spence (Tottenham), Tino Livramento (Newcastle).Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Kobbie Mainoo (Man Utd), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal).Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Noni Madueke (Arsenal).UK Sending Just 3 Cops To World Cup As ‘Cultural Interpreters,' After U.S. Declines FundingBritish police are sending just three officers to the U.S. as "cultural interpreters" during the World Cup given the lack of any U.S. funding, UK police said on Thursday.By contrast, 40 officers went to Germany for the 2024 European Championship, with financing by the hosts, said Mark Roberts, who leads football policing."The States are not funding mobile travel delegations this time," Roberts told reporters of next month's tournament where England and Scotland will play their three opening group games in the U.S.Both nations have a huge travelling fan base and the English have a history of hooliganism, though the exorbitant cost may put many off this tournament which is being co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico."Our fans at World Cups are really well behaved ... I'm not anticipating problems, but clearly we'd rather have a presence there that can get involved if we are seeing issues develop," Roberts added, stressing that he was not criticising the U.S. decision nor was there hostility to a UK deployment.White House spokesman Davis Ingle said President Donald Trump was "focused on ensuring that this is not only an incredible experience for all fans and visitors, but also the safest and most secure in history".Two additional British officers will be working with U.S. authorities at the Washington-based International Police Cooperation Center."Most of the other European countries just aren't bothering" to send their own officers to the tournament, Roberts added. 'CULTURAL' ASSISTANCEThough the UK and U.S. share the same language and historical roots, British police accompanying fans would act as "cultural interpreters" to assist U.S. counterparts."We'll be saying to the local police often, 'This isn't a problem'," Roberts said."They (fans) might be noisy, they might be loud, clearly they may have a drink or two, but we will be often trying to calm people down and say, 'This is not a problem, it's not a precursor to disorder'."Police are actually anticipating more problems domestically, linked to alcohol consumption and late kickoff times for British audiences, than at the tournament.Mike Ankers, deputy director of the Football Policing Unit, said police would also be focusing on online abuse.He cited the conviction of a man who sent racially abusive messages to England defender Jess Carter during the women's European Championship."What I would say is that anybody that's thinking about it ... we've got experts as digital media investigators that will find you and will make sure that we take action."Mamdani Announces $50 World Cup Tickets LotteryNew York City will offer its residents a chance to snag $50 tickets to World Cup games in New Jersey this summer, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Thursday, with 1,000 affordable tickets up for grabs through a lottery system.The discounted tickets come with free round-trip bus transportation to the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey and will be split across five group-stage and two knockout games, with 150 tickets available per match."We are making sure that working people will not be priced out of the game that they helped to create," Mamdani told a press conference in the city's Harlem neighbourhood, quipping that the $50 price tag was the equivalent of five coffees in New York City.Starting on May 25, residents will be able to enter a lottery for a chance to purchase the tickets, which will be non-transferable and distributed to winners at the bus boarding location in an effort to prevent scalping.Ticket affordability has been a key issue for the tournament being co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.According to TicketData, a ticket price tracking platform, the average "get-in" cost for a group-stage match in New York as of Wednesday was $864. Some resale tickets are listed for thousands of dollars across various platforms, including FIFA's official resale and exchange marketplace.The best seats for the final on July 19 in New Jersey were put on sale for nearly $33,000.FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended high World Cup ticket prices this month."This is the moment to make sure that everybody is included, that everybody is lifted up," said New York City Councilman Yusef Salaam.Winners of the lottery will be able to purchase up to two tickets each.Germany Lures Legend Out Of Retirement For Surprise World Cup RosterGermany coach Julian Nagelsmann had a surprise inclusion with 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer making the 26-man World Cup roster announced on Thursday.Neuer retired from international play after the 2024 European Championship and the Bayern Munich legend said just last month that he did not intend to return for the 2026 World Cup. But he will now make his fifth World Cup appearance as the first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Hoffenheim's Oliver Baumann and Stuttgart's Alexander Nubel.It was a surprise announcement from Nagelsmann, who is two years younger than Neuer. Baumann, 35, has made more than 500 Bundesliga appearances but has only 11 caps for Germany, compared to Neuer's 124.Bayern Munich defender Joshua Kimmich will serve as Germany's captain. He will be joined on the team by the likes of Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck, Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala and forwards Deniz Undav (Stuttgart) and Kai Havertz (Arsenal). Musiala made the squad after recovering from a broken leg suffered during the 2025 Club World Cup.Among the biggest surprises not to make the roster were Robert Andrich, Chris Fuhrich, Niclas Fullkrug and Anton Stach, who was on the roster for March internationals. Bayern forward Serge Gnabry will miss the World Cup due to injury, while Karim Adeyemi has also been dealing with an injury.Germany, who were eliminated in the group stage of the past two World Cups, will play friendlies against Finland in Mainz, Germany, on May 31 and the United States in Chicago on June 6. The team's base camp will be at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., with Germany renting out the university's Graylyn Estate for a combined training and lodging site.They begin Group E play against Curacao in Houston on June 14. They then face Ivory Coast in Toronto on June 20 followed by Ecuador in New Jersey on June 25.GERMANY WORLD CUP ROSTERGoalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Alexander Nubel (Stuttgart)Defenders: Joshua Kimmich (captain, Bayern Munich), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United)Midfielders: Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Galatasaray), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Nadiem Amiri (Mainz), Pascal Gross (Brighton and Hove Albion)Forwards: Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Deniz Undav (Stuttgart), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United), Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund)World Cup Team Boss Hints At ExitMarcelo Bielsa hinted on Thursday that he may not remain as manager of Uruguay beyond July, saying that his job with the team ends with the World Cup."Our job ends with the World Cup," Bielsa said at an event organised by the Uruguayan Football Association.Although he did not elaborate on his remarks, local media reported that the Argentine will not continue once his current contract expires at the end of the June 11-July 19 tournament to be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.“It is a miracle in any professional’s sporting career to take part in the World Cup,” he said. “I will be forever grateful to Uruguay for allowing me to enjoy a competition like the World Cup.”Bielsa will coach at his third World Cup following Argentina’s group-stage elimination in 2002 and Chile’s round-of-16 loss to hosts Brazil in 2014.Coming off a successful stint at Leeds United, Bielsa took over Uruguay in 2023 following Diego Alonso’s departure and enjoyed a strong start, guiding 'La Celeste' through the CONMEBOL qualifiers and to third place at the 2024 Copa America.Yet his relationship with the squad gradually began to erode after he was publicly criticised by Uruguay’s all-time leading scorer Luis Suarez, amid a series of internal conflicts that raised doubts over his management of the team.Uruguay’s form has been inconsistent recently, with draws against England and Algeria during the March international window, as well as a 5-1 defeat to the U.S. in November.Uruguay will kick off their World Cup campaign on June 15 against Group H rivals Saudi Arabia before facing Cape Verde and Spain.U.S. Suffers Major Injury Blow, Just 3 Weeks Before Start Of World CupReuters reports:U.S. Men's National Team defender Chris Richards is dealing with a serious ankle injury just three weeks before the start of the World Cup.Richards, 26, was playing for club team Crystal Palace against Brentford on Sunday when he twisted his left ankle and sustained two torn ligaments, according to manager Oliver Glasner."He tore two ligaments in his ankle," Glasner said on Thursday, per The Athletic. "I think it's stable, but quite swollen, and we have to deal with the swelling. He has to get back on the pitch to be available, and it takes time."He is in from sunrise until sunset having treatments and everything we can do that reduces the swelling, and of course we have a great medical department, so we will give our best and he will give his best -- and then let's see if we can get it done."Richards has been ruled out for Crystal Palace's regular-season finale Sunday against Premier League champion Arsenal.Glasner said it was "50-50" whether Richards will be available for next Wednesday's UEFA Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano.Richards has earned 36 caps and scored three goals for the United States. He captained the squad in its most recent friendly, a 2-0 loss to Portugal on March 31 in Atlanta.Coach Mauricio Pochettino will reveal his U.S. World Cup roster on May 26. The tournament co-hosts are in Group D with Paraguay, Australia and Turkey. The Americans open against Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.U.S. Soccer Star Suffers Serious Injury Just Weeks Before World CupU.S. Men’s National Team defender Chris Richards is dealing with a serious ankle injury just three weeks before the start of the World Cup. Read more below.Iran Team Heads To Visa Appointments Amid U.S. World Cup TensionsReuters reports:Iran's national soccer team attended visa appointments in the Turkish capital Ankara on Thursday ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with the whole squad applying for Canadian visas and some players also submitting applications for U.S. entry.The World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Iran due to play all three of their group-stage matches in the United States.Iran are scheduled to face New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 in Los Angeles before taking on Egypt in Seattle five days later.They would require access to Canada if they progress to the knockout rounds.The whole squad attended appointments for Canadian visas, while some players who had not applied for U.S. visas before the Iran war also submitted applications in Ankara, an Iranian football federation official said.Some foreign-based Iranian players joined the squad in Ankara before later travelling to the team's training camp in Antalya on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, the official said.Iran is holding a pre-tournament camp in Turkey after the Iranian domestic league was suspended following U.S. and Israeli strikes on the country that began on February 28, leaving many players short of match fitness.The team trained in Antalya earlier this week as coach Amir Ghalenoei attempted to prepare his squad after most domestic-based players went seven weeks without competitive soccer during the suspension of the Iranian league.Iran qualified early for the expanded 48-team World Cup, but preparations have been overshadowed by uncertainty over travel and security arrangements following the conflict between Iran, the U.S. and Israel.Iran's football federation had previously said U.S. visa applications for the team would be handled in Turkey after discussions with FIFA.Iran are due to play Gambia in a friendly on May 29 before Ghalenoei names his final 26-man World Cup squad by FIFA's June 1 deadline.Iran Soccer Star Fires Back At ‘Disloyalty’ Accusations After World Cup SnubReuters reports:Dropped Iran striker Sardar Azmoun has posted a heartfelt message on social media proclaiming his love for his country and wishing the World Cup squad well at the tournament without him.Azmoun, who is his country's second-leading scorer of all time, was left out of coach Amir Ghalenoei's preliminary squad for the tournament on Saturday. State news agency IRNA said that Azmoun was injured but media reports in March said he had been expelled from the national team after posting a picture on social media of a meeting with Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.Iran has attacked the United Arab Emirates, where Azmoun plays his club football, with drones and missiles during the war triggered by air attacks on the Islamic Republic by the United States and Israel. Accusations of disloyalty in the Iranian media at that time clearly rankled with Azmoun and he addressed them in Wednesday's post."I want to speak from the bottom of my heart about some things that many people may not know, or about certain misunderstandings that may have led some to judge me too quickly," the 31-year-old wrote. "I have always played for my national team with pride. When we won, I was proud of myself and my teammates. When we didn't, I was more upset than anyone else in the world, just like them. I love football, and I love the good and deserving people of my country, Iran. People whose kindness and unwavering support have always given me energy."Azmoun, who is part of Iran's Turkmen ethnic minority, said as a teenager he had received a "very large financial offer" to represent another country. "My answer was this: 'I am a son of Iran, and I want to play for my people and make them happy'," he wrote."I promised myself that every time I played for Iran, I would give everything I had to bring joy to the people who follow football with love -- especially the children in the most remote towns and villages who celebrate our victories. No matter where I play football, my identity, my heart, and my pride are Iran."Azmoun concluded by wishing the World Cup squad success at the tournament."I wish success and pride for the players, coaching staff, and especially Amir Khan, at the World Cup," he wrote. "Go out there and smash it, my friends, make the hearts of the people of Iran happy."The Iran squad are currently at a training camp in Turkey, from where they will fly to their tournament base in the United States in the first week of June.Watchdog Reveals Massive Cost Of Canada’s World Cup HostingReuters reports:Canada is expected to spend just over C$1 billion ($727 million) to host the World Cup this summer, according to a report from the federal budget watchdog published on Wednesday.The estimated cost per game is C$82 million, the Parliamentary Budget Officer said, noting that amount is aligned with past public spending on World Cup events.Thirteen matches will be played in Toronto and Vancouver during the June 11-July 19 tournament, which Canada is co-hosting with the U.S. and Mexico.Of the C$1.066 billion price tag, the federal government will cover C$473 million and other levels of government will provide the remaining C$593 million.As of April, the City of Toronto intended to spend C$380 million, which includes federal grants, to host six games. British Columbia had planned to spend C$578 million to host seven matches in Vancouver.The federal government said in April it would allocate up to C$145 million for security during the tournament.Canada start their World Cup campaign against Bosnia & Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12.See All Updates