FIFA World Cup ends incident-free, says Kash Patel

FBI chief credits coordinated security for incident-free 2026 FIFA World Cup.

FBI Director Kash Patel said nearly 5,000 bureau personnel supported security operations during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. / REUTERS/Mike Blake//File Photo

FBI Director Kash Patel said the United States recorded no major security incidents during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the tournament as the largest sporting event in history.

In a statement posted on his official X account on July 19, Patel said the United States safely hosted the equivalent of "78 Super Bowls in 38 days" while managing security across host cities, fan zones and team base camps.

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"The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the largest sporting event in the history of the world, shattering previous attendance record by double digits," Patel wrote. "America- we got it done, ZERO major security incidents across our nation while we hosted the equivalent of 78 Super Bowls in 38 days, along with 40 base camps, endless fan zones, and celebrations in nearly every state."

Patel credited President Donald Trump with launching the White House FIFA Task Force about 16 months before the tournament, saying the administration coordinated security planning across federal, state and local agencies.

According to Patel, the FBI committed nearly 5,000 personnel from its headquarters, field offices and international offices across the 16 host cities, making it the bureau's largest deployment for a single event.

He said the FBI established a Joint Operations Center, an International Police Coordination Center and an Intelligence Coordination Center to facilitate real-time intelligence sharing throughout the tournament.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the largest sporting event in the history of the world, shattering previous attendance record by double digits. America- we got it done, ZERO major security incidents across our nation while we hosted the equivalent of 78 super bowls in 38 days, along… pic.twitter.com/EahCo1SD6Y
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) July 20, 2026

Patel also said the bureau created what he described as the first counter-drone school to train law enforcement personnel before the competition. According to his post, authorities intercepted more than 700 drones that entered restricted FIFA airspace during the tournament.

He added that security agencies simultaneously managed other large public events, including UFC 250, SAIL 250 and state fairs, while maintaining World Cup security operations.

Patel thanked FIFA, the Department of Homeland Security, the White House FIFA Task Force and its executive director, Andrew Giuliani, for coordinating the security effort.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, was the first edition of the tournament to feature 48 teams and 104 matches. The United States hosted 78 matches across 11 cities, including the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.

Before the tournament began, Patel said the FBI's primary concerns included lone-wolf attacks, drone incursions and cyberattacks targeting host cities. He said the bureau worked with federal, state and local partners to centralize intelligence sharing and strengthen security throughout the competition.

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Comments

JD

James DURAISWAMY

2026-07-20 00:00:00

This is a lesson for every law enforcement agency in the world. Everyone who visited the USA was blown away by the hospitality and kindness of Americans. There were no incidents — the visitors were simply jubilant at seeing the infrastructure in the USA. Nothing was built specifically for this purpose. It was all already there and ready to go. Entertaining 70,000 people in a ballpark is something normal in the USA, but not for the visitors. I am glad the whole operation when without a hitch. One can bet on Kash!