2026 FIFA World Cup Faces Ebola Outbreak And Extreme Heat Threats
Key takeaways
- Sports Money2026 FIFA World Cup Faces An Ebola Outbreak And Extreme Heat Threats By Simon Chadwick ,
- Although the World Health Organization has called the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern" rather than a pandemic, the global football community is mindful of the impact it could have.
- The U.S. has already restricted travelers from the DR Congo, though the country’s overseas-based national team players won't be affected.
Sports Money2026 FIFA World Cup Faces An Ebola Outbreak And Extreme Heat Threats By Simon Chadwick ,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Professor of Afro Eurasian Sport, geopolitical of sport specialist.Follow Author May 21, 2026, 03:44pm EDTMay 21, 2026, 04:08pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.A soccer enthusiast uses a hand-held spray bottle with a fan attached to cool off in the hot Chicago weather. The man is attending the 1994 World Cup in Chicago's Soldier Field. (Photo by © Ralf-Finn Hestoft/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)Corbis via Getty ImagesAmid an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the country’s national team squad will begin preparations for the World Cup in Belgium rather than Kinshasa, their capital.
Although the World Health Organization has called the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern" rather than a pandemic, the global football community is mindful of the impact it could have.