The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the largest and most successful World Cup in history. The United States hosted 78 matches across 11 cities, the equivalent of 78 Super Bowls in just 38 days. More than 6.8 million fans attended from over 150 countries, nearly doubling the previous attendance record, all without a single major security incident.
Thanks to President Donald Trump’s leadership and the creation of the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, this FBI had the resources and preparation necessary to deliver.
Our federal partners, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the U.S. Secret Service, deserve tremendous credit, as do our state, local, and international partners. The men and women of American law enforcement rose to the moment in historic fashion.
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Sixteen months ago, this FBI got to work. We dedicated nearly 5,000 personnel to the effort, including more than 4,000 from the field, 800 from FBI headquarters, and personnel from multiple FBI legal attache offices around the world. We also mobilized 59 Homeland Security Task Forces, the model established by the Trump administration to surge interagency coordination against threats posed by violent criminals, cartels, and terrorists.
The FBI quickly embedded with the Trump administration’s FIFA Task Force Special Events Coordination Center, led by Andrew Giuliani. This central interagency hub provided real-time coordination and intelligence sharing. Working with the task force, the FBI was solely responsible for conducting almost 300,000 background checks on players, coaches, and other personnel. It was a monumental undertaking completed without a major incident.
The FBI built on its work securing last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Formula 1 Grand Prix, and the Super Bowl. Each provided crucial experience for an event of even greater scale.
Drawing on the success from these events, the FBI established an International Police Cooperation Center — a best practice model taken directly from the Milan Winter Olympics and prior FIFA events — with law enforcement represented by 71 police officers and 80 security officials from 46 countries to share real time information and respond to critical incidents if necessary. Each arrived with unique experience and capabilities, and each integrated seamlessly with American law enforcement. That is teamwork at its best.
An additional 400 FBI personnel staffed our Intelligence Coordination Center at FBI headquarters, which processed an average of 26 incidents per day and disseminated nearly 100 intelligence products to support federal, state, local, and private-sector partners.
Perhaps most importantly, this FBI led first-of-its-kind counter-UAS training. In June 2025, we established the nation’s first National Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training Center at Redstone Arsenal to train and deputize state and local law enforcement officers to counter the growing threat posed by drones.
Across all 11 U.S. host cities, the program’s FBI-led ground intercept teams performed flawlessly, interdicting more than 700 drones near restricted World Cup airspace. It was a remarkable achievement.
Overall, the 2026 FIFA World Cup represented the largest commitment of FBI resources ever dedicated to securing a sporting event and the largest specialized FBI mobilization for any single event in our history. Mobile command centers were deployed to all 11 U.S. host cities to provide an additional layer of on-site security.
And all of this happened as our country celebrated its 250th birthday, with major events drawing massive crowds nationwide. At UFC Freedom 250, this FBI thwarted a planned attack, sending an unmistakable message to criminals considering attacks on future events. We also helped secure July Fourth celebrations and other major gatherings across the country. None of it could have been accomplished without our extraordinary partnerships at every level.
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When Trump took office, he charted a clear course for the United States. Thanks to his leadership, our partners, and the men and women of this FBI, we delivered. We not only secured a safe World Cup but also helped stage a global event that allowed millions of visitors to see the greatest country on Earth in action.
To the men and women of American law enforcement: Thank you. You delivered when the entire world was not only watching but experiencing America firsthand.
Kash Patel is the Director of the FBI.