A friendly soccer match between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Chile in Spain was cancelled by local authorities over concerns regarding the Ebola outbreak sweeping Africa.
The DRC and Chile were slated to face off at the Spanish town of La Línea de la Concepción, Andalusia, on June 9. The friendly exhibition match was intended to serve as a preparatory warm-up for the DRC, one of the 48 countries competing in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament.
The DRC is making its return to the tournament after 52 years, having last qualified for a FIFA World Cup back in 1974 at a time when the country was known as Zaire.
La Línea de la Concepción’s Mayor, Juan Franco cancelled the upcoming June 9 exhibition game out of concerns of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the African nation — which, according to World Health Organization (W.H.O.), has seen over 900 documented cases and 223 deaths as of late May.
The Spanish newspaper ABC reports that Mayor Franco cited “potential health risks” stemming from the ongoing Ebola outbreak as the reason to cancel the friendly soccer game.
The newspaper noted that Franco, expressing regret in having taken the measure, explained in remarks shared with Spanish outlets that he justified the decision in reports from local health authorities that “strongly advised” against authorizing the match “given the potential health risks that could arise.”
“We regret having to make this decision, as a match of this caliber is a major draw for the city, but we understand that the health situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo regarding the Ebola virus, along with the documentation provided, which does not fully rule out the possibility of any risk, ultimately makes this the most prudent decision given the circumstances,” Mayor Franco reportedly said.
Chile’s national soccer team has reportedly urged La Línea de la Concepción’s authorities to allow the soccer match to take place behind closed doors instead. The Chilean team had already travelled to Lisbon to prepare for an upcoming friendly match against Portugal and the now-cancelled match with the DRC.
Speaking with the Spanish news agency EFE on Tuesday night, the Chilean national team’s general manager, Felipe Correa, detailed that they are presently in talks with the DRC, the match organizer, and the stadium owner about the possibility of playing the match behind closed doors.
“We will have an update on that tomorrow,” Correa reportedly said.
“The idea is to play it in Spain; it’s feasible to play without an audience. The Congo has already undergone testing, and we want to take advantage of this competitive opportunity to make sure the game goes ahead,” he added.
Correa also pointed out that the DRC is set to play in another friendly match in Belgium against Denmark on Wednesday, June 3.
“They’ve taken every precaution to go to the World Cup; they don’t want any health issues arising from this. The political authorities are evaluating other factors,” Correa told EFE.
Per EFE, FIFA is in close contact with the the DRC’s FECOFA football association federation to ensure that its national team is kept informed of all medical and safety guidelines.
Although Chile did not classify to this year’s FIFA World Cup tournament, the nation’s soccer team is reportedly undergoing a “renovation” process ahead of the 2030 World Cup qualifiers. The DRC will make its 2026 FIFA World Cup debut against Portugal in June 17 at the Houston Stadium in Texas.