The World Cup, a 48-team, 104-match behemoth that kicks off next week in 16 cities across the United States, Mexico and Canada, presents an unprecedented security challenge, with more countries, matches and a larger footprint than ever before.
It also comes against the backdrop of the US and Israel’s war with Iran, rising political violence under President Donald Trump and growing fears of artificial intelligence-fueled disruptions, creating a complex threat environment for authorities.
Oversight of the sprawling security apparatus is exercised by a legion of federal agencies, state and local police forces, and private entities. Their responsibilities range from securing stadiums and fan zones to escorting teams and protecting dignitaries.
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Their tools include fighter drones that can shoot nets over objects in restricted airspace, robot dogs that inspect bags, giant X-ray trucks, and thousands of AI-powered cameras trained on public spaces that will soon be thronged by fans.
In the US, it’s «78 Super Bowls over 39 days,» said Andrew Giuliani, executive director of Trump’s World Cup task force, which is overseeing the multi-agency effort.
“There has never been a summer like this in American history from a security perspective,” said Giuliani, son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
“We are as prepared as possible.”
The tournament has the same high-level federal security designation as the Super Bowl, just below a presidential inauguration or a national political convention, ensuring federal, state and local coordination. It coincides with other major events associated with the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.
So far, according to Giuliani, there have been no credible threats.
The Department of Homeland Security, which is focused on Trump’s crackdown on immigration enforcement and is hit by a funding gap that has only recently been resolved, estimates that more than 7 million people will visit the U.S. for the World Cup.
The US Secret Service, under scrutiny after security breaches and attempts on Trump’s life, is responsible for protecting world leaders who show up to cheer on their country. Trump has expressed interest in attending a game.
“I feel very comfortable where we are right now, and we feel like we have a zero-fail mission,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Congress this week, noting that the Secret Service was understaffed by about 860 agents. “But it will be complicated.”
Officials have indicated they are confident they can keep Trump safe as they will integrate his usual security into the robust World Cup plan on days he can attend a match.
The FBI spent two years developing its security plan, taking lessons from other major events, such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop in New York, and testing them at smaller events, including last week’s Israel Day parade in the city.
“We are preparing for the worst day,” FBI Special Agent Amit Kachhia-Patel told The Associated Press in New York. “And that’s how we go to every event.”
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To help cover safety costs, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has distributed $625 million to the eleven U.S. host cities. Another $250 million will be spent on tracking down and neutralizing suspected drones.
The disbursement of these funds was delayed by the department’s funding delay, which the Republican administration said was hampering security planning.
Others involved in the planning said the federal government could have played a more hands-on role even before the shutdown.
John Cohen, a former senior DHS official who briefed state leaders before the games, said the administration was largely absent from meeting planning last year and only recently began sharing threat intelligence with host regions.
“In an event of this magnitude, you would expect the federal government would have taken a more active role,” Cohen said. “It felt like a missed opportunity to draw attention to that collaboration.”
In January, thousands of officials involved in World Cup security gathered for exercises simulating crowds, vehicle attacks and mass shootings.
A month later, the US and Israel launched a war with Iran.
“The security picture has fundamentally changed,” said Stefano Ritondale, chief of intelligence at Artorias, a defense intelligence firm not involved in security preparations. “There is a big difference between preparing for a lone wolf radical who crashes his car into a public place and a terrorist who is funded by a foreign country we are at war with.”
One of the biggest concerns is drones.
Since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022, drones have become a prominent weapon in conflicts, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
“If there’s one threat that keeps me awake at night, it’s drones,” said New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, whose department works with the FBI on drone response.
Drones are banned over stadiums and fan zones, and Kachhia-Patel said the FBI has a “full suite of options” to thwart raids. That includes officers monitoring the air and a «variety of means» to safely disable the devices, he said, without elaborating.
Before this year’s World Cup, the increasing sophistication of AI videos was a particular concern, with officials warning that state actors could use the technology to sow disinformation and panic.
On game days, the FBI will activate joint operations centers in each host city, where local, state and federal law enforcement agencies come together to monitor and investigate threats.
“If there is a video that shows an explosion happening at a location, and it is generated by AI, we have people on site who can validate whether that is true,” says Kachhia-Patel.
Some AI companies have signed up with police in host cities, promising to search data and surveillance on game days to prevent threats including unruly fan behavior.
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“We have sports fanaticism here to a certain extent in terms of the NFL and baseball, but nothing like international football,” said Jake Becchina, a police spokesman in Kansas City, Missouri, where six games are taking place.
The department has contracted with Peregrine Technologies, which promises to search police records and publicly available information, such as team practice locations and the national affiliations of popular bars, to get ahead of potential conflicts.
In Dallas, a recent $120 million technology upgrade will provide local police cameras with real-time translations, allowing law enforcement agencies to communicate with international visitors soon to come to the region.
Several drone detection and mitigation companies are joining forces to help federal agencies secure airspace.
One of those companies, Fortem, has claimed to have signed a multimillion-dollar contract with DHS before the World Cup for an unusual drone mitigation strategy: quadcopters that can shoot nets at intrusive drones to capture them in mid-air. A DHS spokesperson declined to discuss the contract.
Just as teams strive to do their best on the field, Giuliani said the safety planning was a unique opportunity to «showcase American exceptionalism.»
“If we do our job right,” Giuliani added, “no one will talk about security at the World Cup.”
Published on June 6, 2026
