The Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel, has announced that the 2026 FIFA World Cup concluded without any major security incidents, describing the tournament as the largest sporting event ever staged.
In a post on his official X account, Patel praised the coordinated efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, saying the competition set new attendance records while maintaining a high level of public safety.
According to him, the tournament was successfully hosted across the United States over 38 days without any significant security breaches despite the scale of the event.
Patel noted that the World Cup was equivalent to hosting 78 Super Bowls, with 40 team base camps, numerous fan zones and celebrations held across nearly every state.
He credited President Donald Trump for prioritising security preparations, stating that the White House FIFA Task Force was established about 16 months before the tournament to coordinate planning.
The FBI director disclosed that the bureau deployed nearly 5,000 personnel from its headquarters, field offices and international offices across the 16 host cities, describing it as the agency’s largest deployment for a single event.
According to Patel, the FBI also established a Joint Operations Centre, an International Police Coordination Centre and an Intelligence Coordination Centre to facilitate real-time intelligence sharing throughout the tournament.
He further revealed that the bureau launched its first-ever counter-unmanned aircraft systems (counter-UAS) training programme for law enforcement officers ahead of the competition.
Patel said security agencies intercepted and seized more than 700 drones that entered restricted airspace around World Cup venues during the tournament.
He added that authorities simultaneously secured other major national events, including UFC 250, SAIL 250 and State Fair 250, while ensuring the World Cup concluded safely.
Patel thanked the FBI’s federal, state and local partners, as well as FIFA, the Department of Homeland Security, the White House FIFA Task Force and its director, Andrew Giuliani, for their contributions to the successful security operation.