Can Ebola affect the 2026 World Cup? This is what experts are concerned about

Just a few days before the start of the 2026 World Cup, a health concern began to gain traction on the international agenda. The Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and some areas of Uganda raised questions about a possible impact on the competition that will take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

According to the latest data released by the World Health Organization (WHO), the outbreak of the Bundibugyo variant of the virus has already caused 91 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and two more in Uganda. Additionally, more than 500 confirmed cases have been recorded in Congolese territory.

The situation has generated special attention because the Congolese national team has qualified for a World Cup for the first time in over five decades and will compete in North America.

Is there a risk for the 2026 World Cup?

Despite the initial concern, specialists assure that the risk of transmission during the tournament is practically nonexistent.

Infectious disease specialist Isabel Brosius, a member of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp and currently deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, explained that Ebola has very different characteristics from respiratory diseases like Covid-19.

"Ebola is not transmitted through respiratory droplets and requires close contact with an infected or deceased person, or with a contaminated environment," she stated.

The specialist also recalled that even during the major outbreak recorded between 2014 and 2016, considered the most significant in history, the virus's ability to spread internationally through air travel was very limited.

For this reason, she believes that the chances of contagion during the World Cup are minimal. "The risk of fans or players coming into contact with the virus during the tournament is practically zero," she asserted.

Although experts rule out a direct danger to the tournament's development, the Congolese national team had to modify part of its preparation.

Initially, the team planned to concentrate in Kinshasa, the capital of the country. However, due to the health context, the preparation was moved to Belgium, where the players worked under strict isolation protocols similar to those used during the pandemic.

Additionally, a preparatory friendly match against Chile that was to be held in Spain ended up being played behind closed doors in the French city of Orleans after Spanish health authorities expressed concern about the epidemiological situation.

This measure forced the African team to reorganize part of its logistics before traveling to Houston, where it will establish its base during the competition.