May 24, 2026
DR Congo could be barred from the World Cup if the team fails to comply with strict isolation requirements before travelling to the United States.
The African side are scheduled to arrive in Houston, Texas on June 11, ahead of their tournament opener against Portugal six days later.
The squad have been instructed to observe a 21-day isolation period before arrival due to an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the country. This means their training bubbles must already be in place and maintained throughout their pre-tournament preparations in Belgium.
Executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, Andrew Giuliani, has warned that failure to maintain the protocol could result in the team being excluded from the tournament.
