FBI, Philadelphia police and federal partners outline security plans for 2026 World Cup matches

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement described a layered, city-specific security posture for World Cup 2026 events in Philadelphia, emphasizing interagency coordination, specialized response teams and counter‑drone enforcement.

CIRG Assistant Director Devin Kowalski said the government has prepared for the tournament "not for days, not for months, but for years" and urged fans to "feel absolutely confident" about public safety planning. FBI Director Cash Patel added that federal agencies are "sharing information, planning for emergencies, and coordinating across agencies to make sure the matches run smoothly."

Why it matters: Philadelphia will host six matches and related fan events, creating concentrated public-safety demands that, officials say, are being met through task forces that combine FBI investigative assets, Department of Homeland Security components, state police and local police resources. Supervisory Special Agent Jeff Hunter described a federal coordinating team that handles resource requests from the city and secures FBI assets such as bomb technicians, tactical teams and personnel trained for weapons-of-mass-destruction threats.

Local roles and specialized capabilities: Wayne Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia, said the Philadelphia Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police will "carry the lion's share" of on-the-ground operations while the FBI provides niche capabilities (bomb techs, SWAT support, counter-drone teams) and an operations center to ingest tips and push intelligence to field units. Jacobs described "ground intercept teams" focused on drone detection and mitigation and said intelligence teams will analyze public tips and social media leads for timely field support.

Drone restrictions and enforcement: Officials said the FBI coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration to establish temporary no-drone zones around venues. The episode warned that flying a drone into restricted airspace could lead to fines (noted as up to $100,000), federal criminal charges, confiscation of equipment and identification of operators to support prosecution. The FBI and FAA will use federally authorized capabilities to detect and track unauthorized drone activity and will deploy personnel to identify activity that could threaten aviation safety or public safety.

Local deployment and access measures: Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel said the department plans to deploy more than 5,000 personnel for event security and will use real-time translation built into body-worn cameras to communicate with non‑English-speaking fans who need to report crimes or seek assistance. Major Richard D'Ambrosio of the Pennsylvania State Police said PSP will provide boots on the ground, horseback patrols, a special emergency response team and aviation support.

Homeland Security Investigations and other federal support: Nathan Abel, acting special agent in charge of HSI's Philadelphia Field Office, said HSI will assign personnel to critical hubs and transportation sites, conduct proactive operations including human‑trafficking and intellectual property investigations, and contribute cyber and technical capabilities as requested.

What officials asked of the public and next steps: The agencies urged visitors and residents to report tips, follow posted restrictions (including drone restrictions) and consult fbi.gov/tactics for information on CIRG tools and tactics. The podcast closed with a reminder that the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026 is coordinating the overall federal effort and that field offices will adapt their approaches to local needs.

The episode did not announce new binding rules beyond FAA temporary flight restriction enforcement or any formal local orders; officials described operational postures and planned deployments rather than formal legislative or prosecutorial outcomes.