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FBI credits coordinated security as FIFA World Cup 2026 ends without major incidents
Summary
An FBI agency official said the Bureau and its partners deployed thousands of personnel, coordinated with international partners and seized more than 700 drones to help ensure FIFA World Cup 2026 concluded without major security incidents amid crowds exceeding 6.5 million.
An agency official with the Federal Bureau of Investigation said the FBI and federal, state, local and international partners concluded security operations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 without "any major security issues." The official described the response as the most extensive level of support the FBI has provided for a global sporting event.
The official said the event encompassed "104 games in 39 days across 11 U.S. host cities and 5 international host cities," with "more than 6,500,000 spectators, including fans from more than a 150 countries," a figure the speaker said doubled the previous World Cup attendance record. "This FBI was up to the challenge," the official added.
On staffing and coordination, the official said the Bureau dedicated "almost 4,000 field personnel, almost 800 headquarters and LIGAP personnel," engaged 59 homeland security task forces and deployed personnel to international coordination centers. "Seventy FBI personnel at our international police cooperation center, where 46 countries represented at the FBI assembled Joint Operations Center, [and] 400 personnel at the FBI's Intelligence Coordination Center," the official said.
The speaker said the Bureau worked with a White House FIFA task force "stood up by President Trump" and field offices to investigate tips and criminal activity tied to the event, specifically citing probes of swatting incidents, hoaxed bomb threats and online scams. The official also said, "With 53 field offices engaged, we seized more than 700 drones operating illegally near venues."
Framing the operation in national context, the official noted the security work occurred while the country also marked its 250th birthday, when other large events drew crowds. The statement concluded with the official saying the FBI had "kept the American people safe and catch the bad guys," characterizing the operation as successful across stadiums, fairgrounds, streets and borders.
The statement did not include a named speaker, formal after-action statistics beyond the figures cited, or details about which specific field offices or cities conducted particular activities. The Bureau's account in this statement summarizes its role and claimed results; no independent verification is provided in the transcript.
