DR Congo ask FIFA for ticket refunds as Ebola blocks fans from World Cup

The Democratic Republic of Congo have asked FIFA to refund the cost of 2026 World Cup tickets bought by fans who are now unable to enter the United States due to Ebola-related travel restrictions.The Leopards are returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, but a public health emergency declared by the WHO on May 16 has led the US to bar entry to non-Americans who have been in DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the previous 21 days.

The US embassy in Kinshasa has also suspended visa services."We asked FIFA if it is possible to take this into consideration, because the tickets are a little bit expensive," said Vron Mosengo-Omba, president of DR Congo's football federation. "They are punished because they cannot get in to see the World Cup to support their team."Tickets for the tournament are as much as seven times more expensive than the 2022 World Cup.

FIFA told the BBC it "will look into it in due course", though its standard policy reserves refunds for exceptional circumstances like match cancellations.DR Congo face Portugal in their Group K opener on June 17 in Houston.

Most Congolese fans are now expected to redirect their travel plans to Mexico, where the Leopards face Colombia in Guadalajara.The team itself remains unaffected, as all 26 players and most technical staff are based outside the country.

However, the outbreak has already forced the cancellation of a pre-tournament training camp in Kinshasa.Mosengo-Omba urged calm, stating, "The country in the world that knows how to fight this disease is the DRC.

The world doesn't need to be afraid.".