With just months remaining until the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off across three North American nations, United States security officials are accelerating final preparations for the historic tournament — even as they warn that unresolved federal funding gaps threaten to undermine coordinated safety readiness across dozens of federal, state and local agencies.
The 2026 tournament, the first expanded 48-team World Cup in history and the first jointly hosted by three countries (the United States, Canada and Mexico), will kick off in June, with 11 matches slated to be held across 11 American host cities from coast to coast. Organizers project that millions of international and domestic fans will travel to venues across the region, placing unprecedented strain on the nation’s transportation networks, border control systems and public safety infrastructure. Pulling off a secure event requires constant, synchronized collaboration between federal entities, state law enforcement and local municipal authorities.
Top organizers have underscored that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) serves as the central coordinating body for all national security efforts for the tournament. DHS oversees critical functions ranging from airport passenger screening and cross-border entry management to interagency alignment for large-scale event risk mitigation. Its portfolio includes supporting work from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Customs and Border Protection, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, all of which play core roles in safeguarding the tournament.
However, Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has sounded an urgent alarm about funding delays that have hampered DHS’ preparation work. In comments obtained by ABC News, Giuliani emphasized that full, immediate funding for DHS is non-negotiable to deliver a safe, successful tournament. “We’re here to make the case as loud as we can that, in order for us to do the best work possible, to ensure that this is going to be a safe and successful World Cup, we need to open the department and need it open yesterday,” Giuliani stated.
Security planning for the 2026 World Cup addresses two distinct, equally critical risk vectors: physical public safety and digital cybersecurity. Officials confirmed that past iterations of the global tournament have faced massive volumes of malicious cyber activity, and 2026 planning accounts for the likelihood of even more frequent and sophisticated attacks this year.
Beyond digital defense, operational readiness also depends on robust staffing and regular joint training exercises. Giuliani warned that without full, consistent funding, DHS cannot adequately train new personnel or run the large-scale interagency drills required to test emergency response systems ahead of kickoff. “Each day that we go without the whole department being funded, it creates more vulnerabilities,” he added.
Independent reporting from multiple outlets, including commentary cited by Fox News, has corroborated these concerns, noting that funding constraints have already slowed preparations across several key agencies. TSA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard have all been forced to operate with limited resources during the critical planning phase, creating potential gaps in security coverage and operational readiness that could grow as the tournament approaches.
At the local level, the 11 U.S. host cities are pushing forward with on-the-ground preparations while navigating their own logistical and budget pressures. Municipal authorities bear direct responsibility for frontline security implementation, including neighborhood policing, crowd management at venues, and on-site emergency response, all coordinated closely with federal partners. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, whose city will host World Cup matches, echoed widespread concern, noting that public safety is a top priority amid the expected flood of visitors. “I’m worried every day about public safety threats,” Lucas said.
The unprecedented scale of the 2026 tournament is set to put national infrastructure systems to the test. U.S. airports, in particular, are bracing for a historic surge in passenger traffic, which could make this one of the busiest travel periods in the nation’s history. Federal screening and border control operations will be critical to balancing efficient fan movement with rigorous security protocols at all major transportation hubs.
In addition to domestic coordination, U.S. security officials are working closely with Canadian and Mexican counterparts to align security protocols across all three host nations. This cross-border collaboration includes real-time intelligence sharing, joint contingency planning, and standardized response procedures to ensure consistent, effective security across every match site in North America.
Compounding the funding challenge, a prolonged partisan standoff over DHS appropriations in Congress has held up the distribution of approximately $625 million in earmarked federal funding that was intended to help host cities cover unplanned security costs. That delay has put additional financial strain on local governments already working to stretch their budgets to accommodate the tournament.
Security officials have also noted that broader global geopolitical instability, including ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has added an extra layer of risk assessment to tournament planning, with analysts flagging the potential for heightened public safety threats connected to global tensions.
Despite the cascade of challenges, U.S. federal officials maintain that preparations remain on track, with ongoing focus on strengthening interagency coordination and closing readiness gaps. The White House task force has prioritized breaking down bureaucratic barriers to improve unified cross-agency response. As agencies gear up to welcome millions of football fans from every corner of the globe, Giuliani reaffirmed that timely federal funding and sustained cross-stakeholder coordination will be the deciding factors in ensuring all security measures are fully in place before the first match kicks off in June.