DR Congo's FIFA World Cup 2026 squad faces 21-day isolation

Les Leopards last qualified for the World Cup in 1974.

Guadalajara in Mexico was hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026 Inter Confederation playoffs between Jamaica and DR Congo. It was still goalless after 90 minutes. Axel Tuanzebe of Congo scored a goal in the 99th minute, and that goal went on to change the course of history in Congolese football.

The Democratic Republic of Congo qualified for the biggest event in the history of mankind after a long wait of 52 years. The echoes of drumbeats and jubilation were heard in Lubumbashi and the capital city of Kinshasa.

However, just weeks before the commencement of the FIFA World Cup 2026, the outbreak of the Ebola virus has taken a major toll on Congolese football players and fans.

As per guidelines from the executive director of the White House task force for the World Cup, DR Congo has to undergo isolation. They will have to stay in Belgium for 21 days in a safety bubble before landing on North American soil on 11 June to play their World Cup games.

In this article, we find out how serious the Ebola outbreak in Congo is and why Congolese players face the potential risk of no entry to the United States if they fail to adhere to the health and isolation guidelines.

Congolese players set to undergo 21-day isolation in Belgium

This is a historic occasion for Congolese football as they return to the World Cup after a long wait of over five decades. The world saw Congo’s love and passion for football in the AFCON 2025 held in Morocco.

There were reports that a lot of World Cup build-up events were lined up in the capital city of Kinshasa. Open training sessions were also organised. The team was scheduled to meet the head of state, Felix Tshisekedi, on Monday, before flying to North America.

Now they have been asked to undergo a 21-day mandatory isolation in Belgium. The US Government have asked the Congolese contingent to strictly adhere to the isolation guidelines. Otherwise, they may face travel restrictions and will be denied entry to the USA for the World Cup.

Executive director of the White House task force for the World Cup, Andrew Giuliani said, “We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on June 11. We’ve made it very clear to the Congo government as well, that they need to maintain that bubble or they risk not being able to travel to the United States. We cannot be any clearer.”

DR Congo to kick off World Cup campaign against Ronaldo’s Portugal

The last time DR Congo took part in the FIFA World Cup was back in 1974 as Zaire. Despite a tough fit, they finished at the bottom of the group and faced big defeats against teams like Brazil, Yugoslavia and Scotland.

This time around, they are drawn against Uzbekistan, Portugal and Colombia. They are set to kickstart their campaign against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on 17 June in Houston before taking on Colombia next.

They are still searching their first World Cup win. They will leave no stone unturned to get the better of debutants Uzbekistan in their final game in Atlanta.

They have some really good players like Noah Sadiki of Sunderland, Yoane Wissa of Newcastle United and Aaron Wan-Bissaka of West Ham. They were also scheduled to play two friendlies against Denmark and Chile, which are likely to be cancelled.

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