Thousands of law enforcement officers will be involved in securing “the largest sporting event held in the United States” against a wide range of potential threats, according to a series of law enforcement threat bulletins obtained by CNN.
While officials “have not identified any specific and credible threats to WC26 stadium sites or the official FIFA Fan Festivals 2026,” a joint FBI-Department of Homeland Security threat assessment said, the weeks of highly publicized and attended games will present attractive targets for extremists, criminals and nation-states when the U.S. portion of the events begins in Los Angeles.
“We are concerned about the potential for increased terrorist activity, reportable targeted violence, mass casualty incidents, transnational crime, unauthorized unmanned aircraft system (UAS) activity, cyber attacks, and foreign intelligence operations,” the threat assessment said. “These concerns arise from the emergence of several converging trends: intensified rhetoric from foreign terrorist organizations targeting large-scale incidents, increased violence in large-scale protests within the homeland, and increased geopolitical tensions.”
In addition to the potential for targeted violence, a bulletin sent by federal intelligence analysts to local law enforcement across the country noted the potential for an increase in other types of crime that authorities will be alert to disrupt and investigate, including: property theft, human trafficking, fraud schemes, counterfeit goods and cyberattacks.
A unique aspect of the Games: the presence of the Iran national team amid ongoing global hostilities in the Middle East.
According to a joint FBI-DHS threat assessment, “disturbed fans in the (Iranian) diaspora could lead to clashes at fan festivals and other events in the Los Angeles area.” “If Iran plays along, the threat of international repression on local members of the Iranian diaspora will be a cause for concern.”