FBI seizes over 400 drones near World Cup venues as security tightens

US federal authorities have seized more than 400 drones that entered restricted airspace around FIFA World Cup venues, underscoring the extensive security measures in place as the 2026 tournament continues across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Security has been one of the defining issues of the tournament, with organizers and federal agencies implementing heightened safeguards amid a tense global security environment. Unmanned aerial vehicles have emerged as a particular concern, as a single drone flying over a packed stadium has the potential to disrupt matches or trigger evacuations, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

FBI Director Kash Patel, who has been visiting security operations during the tournament, provided an update from Miami, one of the 11 US host cities.

"On the ground visiting two FBI operations centers for the FIFA World Cup in Miami — one of our 11 host cities within the U.S. where the FBI is among the lead security agencies. Historic success so far. Incredibly, with 40-plus matches to go, the USA has already set a World Cup attendance record, drawing 3.7 million spectators," Patel wrote on X.

He also detailed the scale of the federal security operation.

"FBI has seized over 400 drones near FIFA airspace, has 54 field offices participating nationwide, fully mobilized 59 Homeland Security Task Forces and thousands of dedicated personnel working out of our IPCC in Virginia, our Intel Coordination Center at Headquarters and more," Patel said.

With matches spread across 11 US host cities, federal authorities have designated the airspace surrounding stadiums as restricted zones and deployed extensive counter-drone capabilities to safeguard players, fans and event infrastructure throughout the tournament.

By Vafa Guliyeva