FIFA WC 2026: Deception rages among Congolese fans

The 2026 World Cup is an event that many Congolese living in the country will simply have to watch on TV, instead of being present in the various stadiums. The Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the country is to blame. Indeed, the three organizing countries have taken strict measures regarding entry into their territories for Congolese nationals. 

The firmness of the USA
The American government had stopped granting visas to Congolese since May 18, 2026. For those who already had the visa, the Americans forced them to spend 21 days of incubation in another country before entering their territory. In turn, Mexico is asking the Congolese who came directly from the DRC to observe 21 days of voluntary quarantine. Canada, for its part, has gone further in its measures.

Since the end of May, it has suspended, for a period of 90 days, the issuance of certain immigration documents to Congolese. Furthermore, it prohibits entry into its territory even for persons holding a temporary resident visa but who have stayed in the DRC.


The activity groups are definitively condemned
 
‎For a return of the DRC to the competition, 52 years after its last participation, this situation is a great disappointment for several Congolese who were ready to go to this great celebration. The usual animators of Les Léopards are stuck in Kinshasa, forced to sing in front of their TVs.  "It’s a real shame, this outbreak came at the wrong time," one of them said when asked by Sports News Africa. 

The situation has turned into a misunderstanding for several supporters, especially since no case is yet recorded in Kinshasa and in 22 other provinces of the country, out of 26 in the DRC.  «How can they punish an entire people, even those who are not in the parts affected by this epidemic. It’s not fair", another fan of the Leopards met in Kinshasa was alarmed.
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 Lumumba Vea will be in Mexico
 
For a representative of the supporters coming from the DRC, the Minister of Sports Didier Budimbu has found Schengen visas for 5 leaders of the entertainment groups including Lumumba Vea, the star of the last AFCON. There are also Evoloko, Thomas Iyala, Mundele Ndundu and Iyofela.  The latter spent the 21 days of incubation in Europe where they also attended the friendly match between the DRC and Denmark (0-0). But, as they do not have US visas, they will simply have to go and watch the match between the DRC and Colombia that will be played in Mexico before returning to Kinshasa. 

And regarding the Congolese who had already bought their tickets for the matches, FECOFA had announced that it had requested refunds from FIFA.  An application that, so far, is still under review.