With the FIFA World Cup 2026 set to begin in less than two weeks, authorities in the United States, Canada and Mexico have announced coordinated public health travel measures in response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak affecting parts of Africa.
The outbreak, which originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has spread to Uganda and South Sudan, comes as North America prepares to host the largest FIFA World Cup in history, featuring 48 teams, 104 matches and millions of international visitors across the three host nations.
According to the World Health Organization, the Ebola situation was declared a global emergency one week prior to the announcement of the new travel measures.
The United States Department of State, working alongside the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stated that the United States continues to mount a rapid response to contain the outbreak and prevent further international spread.
The U.S. government has committed more than $162 million towards Ebola response efforts in Africa, making it the largest contributor to the outbreak response. Additional humanitarian funding has also been directed through OCHA pooled funds for affected regions.
In a joint statement issued on May 28, the United States, Canada and Mexico announced aligned public health travel measures for travellers arriving from high-risk African regions.
“The United States, Mexico, and Canada have announced aligned public health travel measures for individuals coming from African regions at greatest risk from the Ebola virus. This coordinated approach aims to protect our citizens and the millions of visitors, fans, athletes, and tourists expected during the FIFA World Cup 2026™, while maintaining travel and commerce across our borders,” the statement noted.
The U.S. Department of State subsequently issued a Worldwide Caution advising that U.S. citizens and nationals who have travelled through the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within 21 days prior to arrival in the United States will only be allowed entry through designated airports for enhanced Ebola screening.
The designated airports include Washington Dulles International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The CDC and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will conduct enhanced health screening procedures at these airports.
The State Department also issued an updated health alert for Uganda, reiterating recommendations against travel and referencing the CDC’s revised Travel Health Notice, which was upgraded from Level 1 to Level 2, advising travellers to practise enhanced precautions.
Meanwhile, Canada has temporarily suspended visa and immigration processing for residents from the three affected countries for 90 days. Canadian citizens and exempt travellers returning from these regions will be required to self-isolate for 21 days.
Mexico has also introduced enhanced airport screening protocols and has requested travellers arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to voluntarily quarantine for 21 days.
As part of broader regional preparedness efforts, Marco Rubio and William Ruto, President of Kenya, discussed joint cooperation on Ebola preparedness, with the United States intending to allocate $13.5 million towards Kenya’s preparedness measures.
Despite the health concerns, FIFA and host nation authorities continue preparations for the tournament, which is expected to attract millions of international fans and generate significant economic activity across North America.
