Due to an Ebola outbreak, a team may not have fans at the World Cup.

Less than a month before the start of the 2026 World Cup, the Democratic Republic of the Congo faces a concern that goes beyond sports. The outbreak of ebola currently affecting the African country threatens to leave its national team without fans during the World Cup due to the strict health restrictions adopted by the United States, one of the tournament's hosts.

The epidemiological situation raised international alarms after the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed more than 130 deaths and more than 500 suspected cases linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, a variant for which there is still no completely effective treatment. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the organization's director-general, warned that the most concerning aspect is "the magnitude and speed" with which the outbreak has spread in Congolese territory.

In this context, the U.S. government has tightened immigration controls and temporarily banned the entry of people who have recently traveled through affected areas, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan. Thus, the measure directly impacts the supporters of "The Leopards," who could be unable to travel to the World Cup despite their team's historic qualification.

On the other hand, the squad is guaranteed to be present thanks to special protocols agreed upon between FIFA and health authorities, under a strict system of controls, preventive isolation, and constant medical testing. "We are monitoring the situation regarding the Ebola outbreak and maintaining close communication with the Football Federation of the DRC to ensure that the team is informed of all medical and safety guidelines," FIFA stated in an official communication.

Meanwhile, the national team decided to modify part of its preparation and canceled a camp that was to take place in Kinshasa due to the current health restrictions. "The preparation program for our team continues as planned in Europe and Houston; it is the Kinshasa stage that has been canceled due to health limitations," explained a spokesperson for the Congolese federation.

The preparation in the Old Continent referred to is the friendlies against Denmark on June 3 in Belgium and on June 9 against Chile in Spain, while the U.S. city is where they will be based during the World Cup.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo will participate in only its second World Cup in history, following its appearance in Germany 1974, when it was still called Zaire. The African team qualified through the intercontinental playoff and will share Group K with Colombia, Portugal, and Uzbekistan.

The debut will be on June 17 against the Portuguese in Houston, followed by a match against the Colombians on the 23rd in Guadalajara and finally against the Uzbeks on the 27th in Atlanta. Meanwhile, the evolution of the health outbreak continues to be closely monitored by FIFA, the host governments, and international medical authorities, in a scenario that adds uncertainty to the lead-up to the World Cup.