U.S. Visa Delays and Ebola Screening Threaten World Cup Plans

(UNITED STATES) — The United States imposed new entry and U.S. visa restrictions tied to the Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa, complicating travel plans weeks before the World Cup opens across North America.

Officials from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of State have rolled out a series of measures since May 18, 2026 to prevent the introduction of the Bundibugyo virus strain into the country. The restrictions target people who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the last 21 days.

The steps include a pause in routine visa operations at U.S. embassies in Kinshasa, Kampala and Juba, a Title 42 order suspending certain entries for 30 days, and mandatory routing through designated airport screening hubs. On May 22, 2026, the Title 42 order expanded to include lawful permanent residents, or Green Card holders.

On May 28, 2026, the governments of the United States, Mexico and Canada said in a joint statement: “The United States, Mexico and Canada have announced aligned public health travel measures for individuals coming from African regions at greatest risk from the Ebola virus. This coordinated approach aims to protect our citizens and the millions of visitors, fans, athletes, and tourists expected during the FIFA World Cup 2026™, while maintaining travel and commerce across our borders. The health and safety of every person in the region remains our highest priority as we welcome the world to North America.”

Those measures landed as the 2026 tournament approached, with matches scheduled across the United States, Mexico and Canada. The overlap between a major sports event and a severe Ebola outbreak has turned what should have been a celebration for some African supporters into a travel shutdown.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo national team, known as the Leopards, qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1974. Their opener against Portugal is scheduled in Houston on June 17.

Team entry, which initially appeared uncertain, now has a narrow route. A State Department official said on May 20, 2026: “We’re working to get them [the DRC team] into the same protocol for testing in isolation that American citizens returning and permanent residents would be. many of the players had already been training in Europe. meaning some members of the squad may not even fall under the current travel limitations.”

Many players are based in European leagues, while ordinary supporters from the affected regions face a near-total roadblock if they have been in outbreak zones within the last 21 days.

The CDC and DHS first invoked Title 42 on May 18, 2026. Their order said: “This order [suspending the right to introduce certain persons] will be in effect for 30 days. intended to reduce the risk of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus (BVD) by preventing its introduction into the United States.”

Routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa services stopped the same day at the three embassies in Kinshasa, Kampala and Juba. That embassy pause has cut off the usual path for tourists, fans and many other travelers seeking entry before the tournament.

Air travel rules tightened in stages. Washington-Dulles, or IAD, became a designated screening hub effective May 20, Atlanta, or ATL, followed on May 22, and Houston, or IAH, joined on May 26.

Anyone arriving after recent travel in the three affected countries must route through one of those airports for health screening. Athletes and staff face 21 days of symptom monitoring and possible isolation after arrival.

The impact stretches well beyond the tournament squads. Fans and tourists from the affected countries have been blocked both by the embassy suspensions and by the Title 42 ban, leaving many without a way to attend matches in the United States even if they already planned the trip.

Green Card holders have also been drawn into the restrictions after the May 22, 2026 expansion. Lawful permanent residents now face delays or possible denial of entry if they cannot show they have cleared the 21-day window or if they show symptoms during screening.

The North American response has taken a trilateral shape rather than a single-country approach. The May 28, 2026 statement framed the measures as aligned public health travel rules across all three host countries, linking border controls directly to preparations for the World Cup and the movement of fans, athletes and tourists.

That coordination matters for teams and travelers moving between tournament sites in different countries. A fan or official hoping to enter through one host nation and continue on to another now faces public health rules that the three governments say are aligned.

Houston sits at the center of the overlap between football and border policy. The city is set to host the DRC opener on June 17, and IAH became a screening hub on May 26, placing one of the tournament’s early venues inside the new health-screening network.

For the Leopards, the route into the United States remains possible because the team has access to testing, isolation and other medical protocols. For supporters trying to follow them, the restrictions are far harsher, especially for anyone who has recently been in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan.

Officials have pointed travelers to a set of public notices as the policy shifted through late May. The CDC’s traveler information page is at [CDC traveler information](https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/travelers), DHS posted arrival restrictions at [DHS newsroom updates](https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/05/20/dhs-tighten-ebola-restrictions), the State Department published visa alerts at [State Department visa alerts](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/temporary-pause-of-visa-operations.html), and USCIS posted notices at [USCIS announcements](https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts).

Those notices trace a compressed policy timeline: embassy visa services paused on May 18, 2026, the first Title 42 order took effect the same day, Washington-Dulles screening began on May 20, lawful permanent residents were added on May 22, and Houston entered the airport screening system on May 26.

The result is a split-screen World Cup for one qualified African team and its supporters. The DRC squad still has a path to Houston under testing and isolation rules, while many of the fans who waited for their country’s first World Cup appearance since 1974 remain shut out by the Ebola outbreak and the U.S. visa barriers built around it.