The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel, has announced that the United States recorded no major security incidents throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the tournament as the biggest sporting event ever staged.
Patel made the disclosure in a statement shared on his official X account on Sunday, where he commended the efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies for ensuring a safe tournament across the country.
According to him, the competition attracted record-breaking attendance and concluded without any significant security breach despite the scale of the event.
He said, “The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the largest sporting event in the history of the world, shattering the previous attendance record by double digits.
America got it done with zero major security incidents across our nation while hosting the equivalent of 78 Super Bowls in 38 days, alongside 40 base camps, countless fan zones and celebrations in nearly every state.”
Patel credited President Donald Trump with prioritising security preparations well ahead of the tournament, noting that the White House FIFA Task Force was established about 16 months before the competition began.
“President Trump promised his administration would deliver the safest, most secure and enjoyable environment for FIFA. He created the White House FIFA Task Force some 16 months ago, and we immediately got to work,” he said.
The FBI director revealed that the bureau deployed nearly 5,000 personnel from its headquarters, field offices and international offices across the tournament’s 16 host cities, describing it as the agency’s largest-ever operational deployment for a single event.
“The FBI dedicated nearly 5,000 personnel to this operation from headquarters, field and international offices across the 16 host cities. It is the largest resource commitment the bureau has ever made for any event,” Patel stated.
He added that the FBI established a Joint Operations Centre, an International Police Coordination Centre and an Intelligence Coordination Centre to enhance intelligence gathering and facilitate real-time information sharing throughout the tournament.
Patel also disclosed that the agency launched its first counter-unmanned aircraft systems training school for law enforcement officers ahead of the World Cup. He said authorities intercepted and seized more than 700 drones that entered restricted airspace around FIFA venues.
“We established the first-ever counter-UAS drone school, training law enforcement officers from across the country for the World Cup. We also seized more than 700 drones near restricted FIFA airspace,” he said.
According to Patel, security agencies simultaneously managed other major national events, including UFC 250, SAIL 250 and State Fair 250, while maintaining security throughout the World Cup.
He expressed appreciation to federal, state and local partners, FIFA, the Department of Homeland Security and the White House FIFA Task Force for their collaboration in delivering what he described as a safe and successful tournament.
