DR Congo seek World Cup ticket refunds after Ebola outbreak

DR 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 because of Ebola-related travel restrictions.

Officials say there are more than 900 suspected cases of Ebola in central and East Africa, and 223 suspected deaths, since the outbreak was declared. The vast majority of those cases and fatalities have been in DR Congo, and the US embassy in the capital Kinshasa has suspended visa services. The US has barred entry to non-Americans who have been in the DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the previous 21 days. Veron Mosengo-Omba, the president of DR Congo's football federation (Fecofa), told BBC Sport Africa, "We asked Fifa if it is possible to take this into consideration, because the tickets are a little bit expensive." He also said, "They are punished because they cannot get [in to the US] to see the World Cup to support their team," and "We don't want our supporters who love football, who love the World Cup, to lose everything." The Leopards face Portugal in their Group K opener on 17 June, meaning any fans travelling from the DR Congo to watch the match in Houston must depart the country on Tuesday to comply with US entry restrictions.

In response to Fecofa's request, Fifa told the BBC it "will look into it in due course". DR Congo's second group fixture against Colombia will take place in Guadalajara, and the bulk of Congolese fans are now expected to redirect their travel plans to Mexico. The Leopards did have to cancel a pre-tournament training