Ebola risk at 2026 World Cup 'extremely low,' but US stands ready

The risk of a traveler infected with the Ebola virus arriving in the United States during the 2026 World Cup is low, but not zero — and if it does happen, US hospitals are prepared to respond, infectious disease experts say.

This was not always the case. During the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak, a Liberian man named Thomas Eric Duncan arrived at a Dallas hospital showing Ebola symptoms but was turned away before being admitted. Two nurses were infected but survived. That incident led to $260 million in US funding for Ebola response training and 13 specialized treatment centers — all designed to help hospitals identify, isolate, and safely care for suspected Ebola patients.

“We can’t prevent 100% of cases, but we are certainly better prepared than we ever have been,” said Dr. Gavin Harris, an expert in dangerous infectious diseases at Emory University in Atlanta, one of 11 US World Cup host cities.

Public health officials and hospitals in US host cities have been preparing for multiple infectious disease threats, with 6.5 million fans traveling across North America during the 39-day event featuring 104 matches in the US, Mexico, and Canada.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Pan American Health Organization, and the World Health Organization (WHO) all assess the Ebola risk to the World Cup host nations as low, while identifying measles, COVID-19, and influenza as the most common threats when crowds gather.

However, an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that has infected more than 675 people and killed over 135 remains a concern. “The risk of Ebola to anyone at the World Cup is extremely low. Ebola is not airborne and doesn’t spread through casual contact—it requires direct contact with the body fluids of an ill person,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, CEO of Resolve to Save Lives and former CDC director. “But low is not zero, and it will not be zero until the outbreak is contained at the source in the DRC.”

US Ebola preparedness began in 2015, stemming from a partnership between Emory University, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and NYC Health+Hospitals/Bellevue in New York City — facilities that had treated Ebola patients during the West Africa outbreak. Thousands of health workers have since been trained to recognize and treat patients with Ebola and other dangerous pathogens.

For the World Cup, preparedness experts conducted nationwide drills simulating a potential MERS outbreak at tournaments. They have also compiled guidance for doctors, raising awareness about diseases atypical to their cities, including mosquito-borne illnesses such as malaria, dengue, and chikungunya.

The US, Mexico, and Canada have imposed airport screenings and travel bans restricting non-citizens who have visited countries affected by outbreaks. Harris said these measures likely reduce the chance of Ebola reaching World Cup venues. To comply with US restrictions, the DRC national soccer team left the country in May and trained in Belgium before arriving in the US.

In each host city, FIFA, local public health officials, and hospital systems have established medical committees and conducted threat assessments for Ebola and other infectious diseases based on the teams playing, prevalent diseases in their home countries, visa restrictions, and stadium logistics. Some areas have discussed providing disease-specific treatments or protective equipment on site and are using monitoring tools including wastewater surveillance, air quality data, and electronic health records to detect unusual disease clusters.

FIFA said health-related risks are assessed as part of the tournament’s overall plan and managed in close coordination with host cities, which provide medical leaders for oversight and service coordination. FIFA also said it is monitoring the Ebola outbreak and liaising with sports and health authorities in the DRC and the three host nations.

Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, said planning for mass gatherings in the US is not new. “State and local health departments in coordination with the CDC have been at the forefront of screening people coming into this country for many years,” he said.

To support disease surveillance and coordination, Georgetown University has established an independent Health Security Operations Center, collaborating with more than 30 public and private organizations. Over 700 state and local health agencies have signed up for the team’s daily reports, along with about 60 federal partners, FIFA, and the CDC.

However, staff reductions at the CDC, the US withdrawal from the WHO, and pressure on state and local health departments grappling with the largest measles outbreak in decades have taken a toll. “My biggest concern is whether a CDC that has lost thousands of staff has the capacity, support, and mission to act quickly enough — both inside the US and in the DRC,” Frieden said. The US Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, did not respond to a request for comment.

Jeanne Marrazzo, CEO of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s cuts to public health have prompted a wave of departures from government agencies. “Nevertheless, we know those who remain are working around the clock in many cases to try to keep us safe,” she told a news conference.