The Democratic Republic of Congo has formally requested that FIFA refund the cost of 2026 World Cup tickets purchased by fans who are now unable to enter the United States because of travel restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak.
The Leopards are set to return to football's biggest stage for the first time since 1974. However, the public health emergency declared by the World Health Organization on May 16 is threatening to prevent supporters from traveling to the U.S. Officials report more than 900 suspected Ebola cases in central and East Africa, with 223 suspected deaths since the outbreak was declared. The vast majority of cases and fatalities have occurred in DR Congo, prompting the U.S. embassy in Kinshasa to suspend visa services.
While the WHO has not advised travel restrictions, the U.S. has barred entry from non-Americans who have been in DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the previous 21 days. Veron Mosengo-Omba, president of DR Congo's football federation, told BBC Sport Africa: “We asked FIFA if it is possible to take this into consideration, because the tickets are a little bit expensive. They are punished because they cannot get into the US to see the World Cup to support their team. We don’t want our supporters who love football, who love the World Cup, to lose everything.”
The U.S. is co-hosting the World Cup with Canada and Mexico. Tickets are up to seven times more expensive than those for the 2022 tournament in Qatar due to FIFA's dynamic pricing model. DR Congo faces Portugal in their Group K opener on June 17. Fans traveling from DR Congo to watch the match in Houston must depart the country by Tuesday to meet U.S. entry requirements.
In response to the federation's request, FIFA told the BBC it “will look into it in due course.” FIFA's standard policy allows tickets to be resold or transferred rather than refunded, reserving refunds for exceptional circumstances such as match cancellations.
DR Congo's second group match against Colombia will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico. Many Congolese fans are now expected to redirect their travel plans to Mexico. The team's final group game against Uzbekistan is in Atlanta, USA. Supporters hope the team finishes second in the group to secure a last-32 tie in Toronto, Canada.
Despite the fan lockout, the team remains unaffected by U.S. entry restrictions. All 26 players in Sebastien Desabre's squad, along with most technical staff, are based outside DR Congo. Team officials from DR Congo have already left the country to meet the 21-day quarantine requirement.
