DR Congo requests World Cup ticket refunds amid Ebola restraints
The Democratic Republic of Congo has asked FIFA to refund World Cup tickets purchased by supporters who are now unable to enter the United States because of Ebola-related travel restrictions, according to BBC Sport Africa on May 26, 2026.
The request comes as DR Congo prepares to return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1974. However, the recent Ebola outbreak in central and East Africa has complicated travel plans for many fans hoping to support the national team in the United States. The World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a public health emergency on May 16 after more than 900 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths were reported, most of them in DR Congo.
As part of new health measures, the United States suspended entry for non-Americans who have recently travelled to DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan. The US embassy in Kinshasa has also paused visa services, making travel impossible for many Congolese supporters.
Veron Mosengo-Omba said the federation had contacted FIFA to ask whether refunds could be considered due to the exceptional situation. He explained that supporters should not lose large amounts of money after being prevented from travelling to watch their team. FIFA responded by saying it would examine the request “in due course.”
Ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup are significantly higher than those of previous tournaments due to FIFA’s dynamic pricing system. DR Congo supporters who planned to attend the team’s opening match against Portugal in Houston would have needed to leave the country early enough to meet the 21-day US entry restrictions.
Many supporters are now expected to redirect their travel plans toward Mexico, where DR Congo will face Colombia in Guadalajara. Their final group match against Uzbekistan will again take place in the United States, in Atlanta.
Despite the travel restrictions affecting fans, the team itself is largely unaffected because most players and staff are based outside DR Congo. Officials from the country have already left in advance to comply with quarantine rules, while the team cancelled a planned training camp in Kinshasa and instead gathered in Belgium before travelling to Texas.
Mosengo-Omba also urged people not to panic about the Ebola outbreak, arguing that misconceptions about the disease were creating unnecessary fear. He stressed that the virus is concentrated in specific rural regions and said DR Congo has much experience dealing with Ebola outbreaks.
Still, health officials remain concerned because the current outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine currently exists. Combined with armed conflict and displacement in eastern DR Congo, these conditions have made containing the outbreak especially difficult.
BBC Sport Africa, Maghrebi.org
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