FBI Director Patel Calls Preventing Terrorism "Job #1" at the World Cup
In a public statement, FBI Director Kash Patel said preventing terrorist attacks is the bureau's top priority for the 2026 World Cup, with about 200 Joint Terrorism Task Forces and resources from bomb technicians to divers engaged across the 78 matches in 11 U.S. cities.
F BI Director Kash Patel says preventing terrorist attacks is the bureau's top priority for the 2026 World Cup. In a public statement, he said the FBI and its partners are "totally determined to head off any potential incidents and ensure the safety of players, fans, and all Americans and visitors during the tournament," noting that extremists have used major global sporting events in the past to do harm.
A nationwide effort
With "78 matches planned in 11 U.S. cities across 39 days," Patel said, the FBI is working "nonstop" alongside partner agencies including the Department of Homeland Security and law enforcement at every level. The bureau is bringing "the full range of our counterterrorism expertise, crisis management, and other specialized resources honed over many decades," he said.
What the FBI is deploying
The statement set out the resources involved: roughly 200 multi-agency Joint Terrorism Task Forces across the country and 63 legal attaché offices overseas, all "fully engaged" in the government-wide security effort. Bomb technicians will respond to reports of suspicious packages, and FBI divers will search vessel hulls for explosives and other hazards. The bureau is also staffing event operations centers, intelligence operations centers and mobile command posts, with analysts running "thousands of background checks" and circulating intelligence reports.
How to report something
Patel urged the public to "be safe, stay alert, and report any suspicious activity" at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. The 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19, with the United States hosting 78 of the 104 matches and Canada and Mexico the rest.
Reporting: based on a public statement from FBI Director Kash Patel, June 10, 2026.