DR Congo seek World Cup ticket refunds after Ebola outbreak
Summary
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has asked FIFA for refunds on 2026 World Cup tickets because many of their fans cannot enter the United States due to Ebola-related travel restrictions. The country is returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, but US visa rules are blocking fans from attending matches held in the US, while DR Congo’s team remains unaffected.Key Facts
- DR Congo qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1974.
- An Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa has led to US travel restrictions on people who have been in DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the previous 21 days.
- More than 900 suspected Ebola cases and 223 suspected deaths have been reported since the outbreak began.
- The US embassy in Kinshasa has suspended visa services, preventing many DR Congo fans from traveling to the World Cup matches in the US.
- DR Congo’s football federation president requested ticket refunds from FIFA because many fans cannot attend games in the US.
- FIFA’s current policy usually allows ticket resales or transfers, with refunds reserved for rare cases like match cancellations.
- DR Congo’s team is not affected by the travel ban because players and most staff are based outside the country.
- DR Congo will play matches in the US (Houston and Atlanta) and Mexico (Guadalajara), and fans may try to attend games in Mexico instead.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.