The Democratic Republic of Congo has formally asked FIFA to refund World Cup tickets bought by its fans after new Ebola related travel restrictions locked many supporters out of the United States ahead of the 2026 tournament.
The development has now cast a shadow over what should have been a historic moment for the Leopards, who qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 52 years.
DR Congo’s football federation, FECOFA, said thousands of fans risk losing huge amounts of money after the US suspended visa services in Kinshasa and imposed restrictions on travellers from DR Congo, Uganda and South Sudan following the Ebola outbreak declared by the World Health Organization on May 16.
“We asked FIFA to take this situation into consideration because the tickets are very expensive,” FECOFA president Veron Mosengo Omba said.
“They are being punished because they cannot get in to support their team.”
The issue has sparked fresh debate around how global sporting events handle public health crises, especially after reports emerged that some World Cup tickets are now selling at prices up to seven times higher than those seen during the 2022 Qatar World Cup due to FIFA’s dynamic pricing system.
DR Congo are scheduled to open their World Cup campaign against Portugal in Houston on June 17 before facing Colombia in Guadalajara, Mexico and Uzbekistan in Atlanta.
However, many Congolese supporters are now reportedly considering travelling only to Mexico for the Colombia match because of the US restrictions.
The Ebola outbreak has already disrupted the national team’s preparations, forcing the Leopards to cancel a planned training camp and farewell event in Kinshasa before relocating preparations to Belgium.
FIFA has confirmed it is reviewing the request, although the governing body’s standard ticket policy normally favours resale or ticket transfers instead of refunds except under exceptional circumstances.
Despite the fears, health officials in Houston have insisted Ebola does not currently pose a major public health threat to World Cup host cities, noting that strict screening and monitoring measures are already in place.
