DR Congo's final warm-up match ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 — a friendly against Chile — will be staged behind closed doors, following concerns linked to an Ebola outbreak in the Central African nation.

The fixture is scheduled for Tuesday in Orleans, France, kicking off at 16:00 BST. The game was originally set to be held in Cadiz, Spain, but a local mayor issued a decree barring it from taking place there as a precautionary measure.

Travel and entry restrictions

World Cup hosts the United States have stipulated that all squad members and officials must spend 21 days outside DR Congo and remain symptom-free before being allowed to enter the country. BBC Sport understands that none of DR Congo's players — all of whom are based at clubs outside their homeland — have visited the country recently. However, some support staff and fans have travelled from there.

The squad have been finalising their preparations in Marbella, Spain, following a 10-day training camp in Belgium. That camp included a 0-0 draw against Denmark.

Historic return to the World Cup

This tournament marks DR Congo's first World Cup appearance since 1974, when the nation competed under the name Zaire. They finished bottom of their group that year, suffering defeats against Scotland, Brazil, and Yugoslavia.

The team plan to base themselves in Houston for the duration of the tournament. They will open their Group K campaign on 17 June against Portugal in Houston, before travelling to Guadalajara, Mexico, to face Colombia. Their final group match sees them take on Uzbekistan in Atlanta.

The Ebola outbreak

The current outbreak in eastern DR Congo involves a rare strain of Ebola known as Bundibugyo, for which no vaccine currently exists. The World Health Organisation has warned that developing a jab for this specific species could take up to nine months.