The report says security planning could follow supporters from border entry to matchday movement. Facial recognition, biometric screening, expanded CCTV and police drones are expected to feature prominently around venues and transport networks.
A further warning sign is the breadth of the proposed technology:
Those tools are designed to identify threats quickly. They can also collect information on ordinary fans who have done nothing wrong.
The strongest concern is permanence. Major tournaments often accelerate systems that would otherwise take years to fund and deploy. Once new cameras, databases and police partnerships exist, removing them can be harder than introducing them.
The report also raises concerns about social media checks, electronic-device searches, racial profiling and the treatment of transgender and non-binary travellers. These are serious claims and remain matters for scrutiny, but they underline the difficult balance between public safety and equal access to football’s biggest event.
and the host cities will face pressure to explain what data is collected, who can access it and how long it will be retained. Clear limits matter as much as visible security.
The next major storyline will be whether officials publish meaningful safeguards before supporters begin arriving. A successful World Cup should be measured not only by safe stadiums, but also by whether fans can travel, gather and celebrate without creating a permanent surveillance record.