Congo team must isolate to enter United States for World Cup amid Ebola outbreak

Health officials at U.S. airports are implementing enhanced Ebola screenings for travelers arriving from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is working with airlines to identify possible exposures following over 130 deaths and nearly 600 suspected cases in Africa. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has criticized the response efforts of the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO).

Congo is dealing with an outbreak of Ebola, and executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup Andrew Giuliani said the Congolese national soccer team must isolate if they want to enter the United States for the global tournament.

The U.S. has told FIFA, the Congolese government and national soccer team, that they must isolate for 21 days in order to enter the country for the World Cup. The team is currently training in Belgium and is scheduled to play two warmup games there.

"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," Giuliani told ESPN. "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."

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Meschack Elia of Congo reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off final match between Congo DR and Jamaica at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan, Mexico, on March 31, 2026. (Agustin Cuevas/Getty Images)

"We want to make sure that there is nothing that's going to come in or near our borders here on this," he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been monitoring two American doctors who were in quarantine in