New Delhi, May 23 -- The Democratic Republic of Congo is refusing to change its FIFA World Cup 2026 preparations, even after the United States issued a strong warning requiring a 21-day isolation period before the team enters the country. A team official confirmed on Saturday that the squad's schedule remains unchanged despite the health concerns linked to a deadly Ebola outbreak back home.

The warning comes directly from Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup. He told ESPN on Friday that the Congolese delegation must keep a strict "bubble" while training in Belgium. "We've been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to...