“That\u2019s what we executed on,” FBI Director Kash Patel<\/a> told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview detailing the largest commitment of the agency\u2019s resources ever devoted to securing a sporting event \u2013 the 2026 FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n “We\u2019re proud to report that, thank God, and thankfully to the men and women of the FBI and our partners, we had no significant criminal attacks<\/a> during this World Cup,” Patel said. “And just to put that in perspective, we had 6.5 million people attend the 78 matches in the U.S. across 11 venues.”<\/p>\n Patel said the planning and execution had to be “mathematically precise.”<\/p>\n FIFA WORLD CUP COMES TO THRILLING END WITH WINNING GOAL SCORED IN EXTRA TIME<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Exclusive: FBI Director Kash Patel details how the agency and its partners secured the FIFA World Cup at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., on July 18, 2026. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)<\/p>\n The tournament shattered previous attendance records and brought millions of international visitors to the country. The FBI dedicated nearly 5,000 personnel to the effort, including more than 4,000 from field offices, 800 from FBI headquarters and two legal attach\u00e9 offices, along with support from 59 Homeland Security task forces.\u00a0<\/p>\n The bureau also conducted approximately 300,000 background checks on players, coaches and other accredited personnel.<\/a> All told, nearly 7 million fans from all over the world attended World Cup games in the United States, Canada and Mexico, all with no reported major security incidents. In fact, getting into the stadiums often took fans less than 15 minutes for games that averaged more than 65,000 in house.<\/p>\n A defining element of the FBI\u2019s security operation was its aggressive response to the rapidly evolving drone threat.<\/a> Recognizing that even a low-cost unmanned aircraft could be used to surveil players practicing at the dozens of team base camps around the country, track their movements to and from hotels, probe for security tactics at stadiums or fan zones, disrupt an event or deliver an explosive or chemical device, the bureau treated every unauthorized incursion as a potential threat.<\/p>\n TRUMP TAKES IN JENNIFER HUDSON’S INCREDIBLE NATIONAL ANTHEM PERFORMANCE BEFORE WORLD CUP FINAL<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Exclusive: FBI Director Kash Patel views a large screen filled with data inside the FBI’s Intelligence Coordination Center. Patel praised the agency and its partners that helped secure a record-shattering World Cup. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)<\/p>\n “If you\u2019re in the space, we\u2019re gonna take you down. And that\u2019s why we took down over 700,” Patel said. “Some of these folks were maybe borderline nuisances, while many of them were criminal in terms of violations of FAA airspace and also failing to register their drones\u2026 We\u2019re not taking any chances.”<\/p>\n The FBI established its first dedicated counter-UAS (unmanned aircraft system) school at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama<\/a> to train state and local officers in detecting, tracking and intercepting unauthorized drones. Those officers were then deployed on FBI-led ground-intercept teams at World Cup venues, creating a nationwide counter-drone capability built for a threat that barely existed when the U.S. last hosted the tournament in 1994.<\/p>\n Exclusive: FBI Director Kash Patel speaks with personnel at the agency’s Intelligence Coordination Center. Patel praised the FBI and its partners for safely securing the World Cup. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)<\/p>\n “We, the FBI, specifically train for the worst of the worst,” Patel said, pointing to the possibility of drones being used to deploy explosives or chemical agents. Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino was instrumental in developing the bureau\u2019s counter-drone program.<\/p>\n That preparation was tested as the World Cup was getting underway, when investigators uncovered an alleged coordinated attack targeting UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.<\/a><\/p>\n 5 CHILLING DETAILS FROM THE ALLEGED WHITE HOUSE ATTACK PLOT TIED TO UFC EVENT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Exclusive: An FBI employee works inside the agency\u2019s Intelligence Coordination Center, monitoring threats and coordinating security operations for the World Cup. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)<\/p>\n Federal prosecutors allege the suspects planned to use explosive-laden drones<\/a> to trigger panic and force crowds to evacuate into areas where armed attackers could strike. Patel said the FBI launched a six-state operation, tracked the alleged threat through online communications and began a coordinated takedown “before the first punch was thrown,” allowing the event to proceed without an attack.<\/p>\n Eight defendants have since been charged, although the allegations remain unproven and the defendants are presumed innocent.<\/p>\n FBI REVEALS WHY TRUMP WHITE HOUSE UFC EVENT WENT AHEAD DESPITE ALLEGED TERROR PLOT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n International cooperation was another critical component of the World Cup security operation.<\/p>\n “They\u2019re working overseas in their home locations and giving us information back in real time on any single threat that\u2019s coming in,” Patel said.<\/p>\n Exclusive: FBI Director Kash Patel interacts with personnel inside the agency’s hub that was established to secure the World Cup. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)<\/p>\n The FBI hosted the International Police Cooperation Center in Northern Virginia, deploying more than 70 personnel to work alongside officers from U.S. host cities and security officials representing the nations sending teams to the tournament.\u00a0<\/p>\n The FBI also assembled a Joint Operations Center with foreign police representatives from 46 of the 48 participating countries, allowing investigators to receive real-time threat intelligence from officials who understood their teams, fan bases and domestic security concerns. That information was supported by the FBI\u2019s Intelligence Coordination Center, where more than 400 personnel processed an average of 26 incidents per day and produced nearly 100 intelligence reports for federal, state, local and private-sector partners, according to the FBI.<\/p>\n Patel credited the White House Task Force<\/a> on the FIFA World Cup with bringing federal, state and local agencies together under a unified security strategy. Established by President Donald Trump and led by Andrew Giuliani\u2019s team, the task force served as a central hub for interagency planning, intelligence sharing and the rapid deployment of law enforcement resources across the tournament\u2019s 11 U.S. host cities.<\/p>\n FIRST WORLD CUP HALFTIME SHOW DRAWS MIXED REACTIONS FOR SHAKIRA, JUSTIN BIEBER, BTS, MADONNA PERFORMANCES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “Like anything in government, to succeed, you need tremendous leadership,” Patel said. “President Trump had the foresight<\/a> to establish the White House Task Force\u2026 and what they were able to do was bring in the interagency, at least at the federal level, and then work with us at the state and local levels through our partnerships and put everybody under one roof.”<\/p>\n Patel said the coordinated structure allowed the FBI to quickly send bomb technicians, evidence teams, tactical operators, SWAT personnel and hostage-rescue capabilities wherever additional resources were needed.<\/p>\n FOX WORLD CUP ANNOUNCER SAYS TRUMP’S APPEARANCE AT FINAL IS ‘FUN, UNIQUE THING’ DESPITE POTENTIAL BACKLASH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “President Trump<\/a> set the standard: Not only were we going to have the largest and safest sporting event in the history of the world, but we were going to make sure everyone had a great time. Those were the marching orders,” Patel said.<\/p>\n He pointed to the social media videos showing international fans enjoying<\/a> restaurants, pubs, sporting venues and other distinctly American experiences \u2014 even joking that Europeans fell in love with ranch dressing.<\/p>\n VIRAL GERMAN SOCCER FAN FREDDY INVITED FOR WHITE HOUSE VISIT AS FAIRY-TALE TRIP ACROSS AMERICA CONTINUES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “These are small vignettes, but they quantify and qualify how awesome America did,” Patel said. “And I don\u2019t just mean government. I mean the private sector. They came in and partnered with us as well.”<\/p>\n Exclusive: Large screens display data inside the FBI’s command center. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)<\/p>\n Patel said those partnerships helped generate billions of dollars in revenue<\/a> across the country while giving visitors a memorable experience.<\/p>\n![\"Kash](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/bugged-kash_patel_fbi_07182026_04-1.jpg\")
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