The 2026 World Cup is set to be the biggest edition yet, with an expanded field and a schedule spread across North America. That matters because football crowds do not arrive in neat waves; they move through airports, fan zones, city centres and public transport networks for weeks.
Reports suggest the US response is being built around:
That is where football meets geopolitics. A World Cup is never only about the matches.
The most striking concern is how modern threats have changed. Jessica Tisch reportedly said drones are the risk that worries her most, and that feels in step with the times. A major tournament now has to think about airspace, fake videos and online panic as much as turnstiles and traffic.
The report also says AI-generated content is a growing concern. That is a reminder that disruption does not always need a physical breach; confusion can spread long before kickoff.
One line matters as much as any technology upgrade: John Cohen reportedly argued that federal involvement in planning had been limited before improving more recently. That makes coordination the real test. Fancy tools help, but a tournament of this size still depends on agencies sharing information quickly and clearly.
For football, the hope is simple: that security stays in the background and the game takes centre stage. As the countdown continues, the next story to watch is whether this vast operation looks seamless once teams, fans and political attention all arrive at once.