DR Congo Forced Into 21-Day Quarantine Ahead of World Cup Amid Monkeypox Outbreak

According to an ESPN report on May 23, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been hit by a monkeypox outbreak, prompting the FIFA World Cup Task Force to require the national team to undergo a three-week quarantine in Burundi before traveling to the United States for the World Cup.

FIFA World Cup Task Force executive director Andrew Giuliani confirmed to ESPN that the entire DR Congo delegation must remain inside a “quarantine bubble” in Burundi, otherwise their entry into the United States could be affected.

Andrew Giuliani said: “We’ve made it very clear — they must stay in quarantine for 21 days before they can travel to Houston on June 11. We have also informed the government of this requirement. We hope there won’t be any issues that could jeopardize their participation.”

Previously, DR Congo had already moved their World Cup preparation camp to Burundi and cancelled all public activities inside the country. Next, the team plans to play warm-up matches against Denmark and Chile ahead of the World Cup.