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 because of Ebola-related
The report indicates that 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 because of Ebola-related travel restrictions.
It further notes that the Leopards are returning to football’s biggest stage for the first time since 1974, but the public health emergency declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 16 May is threatening to stop supporters from travelling to the US.
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.
While the WHO has not advised imposing travel restrictions, the US has barred entry to non-Americans who have been in the DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the previous 21 days.
“We asked Fifa if it is possible to take this into consideration, because the tickets are a little bit expensive,” Veron Mosengo-Omba, the president of DR Congo’s football federation (Fecofa), told BBC Sport Africa.
“They are punished because they cannot get [in to the US] to see the World Cup to support their team.
“We don’t want our supporters who love football, who love the World Cup, to lose everything.”
The US is hosting the World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, with tickets as much as seven times more expensive than the 2022 tournament in Qatar because of FIFA’s dynamic pricing model.
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”.
The world governing body’s standard policy dictates that tickets are listed for resale or transferred to another individual rather than refunded, reserving the latter option for exceptional circumstances like match cancellations.
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.
With their final match against Uzbekistan back in the US in Atlanta, supporters will be hoping the side can finish second in the group to secure a last-32 tie in Toronto, Canada.
