By Tiffany Williams –
White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026 Executive Director Andrew Giuliani said Thursday that federal, state and local officials are preparing for the tournament with expanded security measures, faster visa processing for many international fans and a major focus on crowd control, drone mitigation and public safety.
Speaking during a press briefing at the U.S. Department of State’s Miami Media Hub, Giuliani said the tournament will be the largest sporting event in history, with 48 teams competing across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The United States will host 78 matches in 11 cities, including Boston, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.
Giuliani said officials expect the World Cup final to draw more than 2 billion viewers worldwide, far surpassing the audience for major American sporting events. He said the tournament will also coincide with America’s 250th birthday, giving the country a global platform to showcase itself to visitors from around the world.
Security was a major focus of the briefing. Giuliani said all 78 matches in the United States will have security setups similar to the Super Bowl, including multiple perimeter checks and ticket verification before fans reach stadium entrances. He said officials want to prevent unticketed fans from reaching stadium grounds and avoid the type of crowd-control problems seen during the 2024 Copa America final in Miami.
Giuliani said counter-drone protection will be in place at every World Cup match in the United States and at one fan festival in each U.S. host city. In Miami, Bayfront Park will have counter-drone protection for the duration of the tournament. He said there will be a zero-tolerance policy for drones near stadiums and fan sites.
“There’s a no-drone zone; leave your drone at home,” Giuliani said.
Giuliani said the federal government has provided multiple funding streams to support local security operations, including $625 million for law enforcement overtime, equipment, anti-scale fencing, additional officers and private security in the 11 U.S. host cities. He also pointed to a $500 million counter-drone funding package tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill, with the first $250 million directed toward states hosting high-level security events.
Giuliani said the Safer Skies Act gave state and local law enforcement expanded authority to help mitigate drone threats. He said the FBI also created a training program in Huntsville, Alabama, where state and local officers received instruction before being deputized by the Department of Justice.
Questions about immigration and international travel were also central to the briefing. Giuliani said the administration has worked to create legal pathways for fans to attend the World Cup while maintaining security screening requirements. He said more than 5 million ESTAs were processed between Oct. 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026.
He said visa wait times in Brazil and Argentina have been significantly reduced. Giuliani said Brazil had wait times of about 700 days two years ago, while current wait times are under a month. He said Argentina’s wait time in Buenos Aires had dropped from about 300 days to less than two weeks, with officials there saying some appointments are being handled within a day.
Giuliani also discussed the FIFA Pass, which allows World Cup ticketholders to move toward the front of the queue for visa appointments. He emphasized that the pass does not bypass safety and security procedures.
“Again, you’re not going around the safety and security procedures,” Giuliani said.
When asked about fans from countries facing travel restrictions, Giuliani said that aside from Iran and Haiti, fans from qualifying countries would have an opportunity to pursue B-1/B-2 visas. He said Haiti’s overstay rate was “extremely high and unacceptable.”
Giuliani said federal officials are also preparing for cyber threats and fraud connected to the tournament. He said the 2022 World Cup in Qatar saw more than 15 billion cyber attempts targeting the host country, FIFA World Cup and related properties, and officials expect similar or greater activity this year. He urged fans not to click unfamiliar links and said ambassadors have been asked to warn travelers in their native languages about scams.
Human trafficking was another concern raised during the briefing. Giuliani said Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services are working with state, local and private partners to address potential trafficking connected to the event. He said federal prosecutors have also been told to take the issue seriously.
Giuliani said fans with tickets should arrive early for matches because of expanded security. He clarified that only ticketholders should go to stadiums and said fans without tickets should attend fan festivals or other public events instead.
“We want ticketholders, people that have their tickets, to come to the stadium early,” Giuliani said.
Giuliani also said President Donald Trump worked with FIFA and Bank of America to secure 4,547 tickets for military veterans and first responders, including 250 tickets for each U.S. match.
The tournament is scheduled to open in Mexico City, with matches also taking place in Guadalajara, Monterrey, Toronto and Vancouver. Giuliani said the United States will open play June 12 in Los Angeles against Paraguay.
Giuliani closed the briefing by calling the tournament an opportunity to show “American greatness” during the country’s 250th birthday celebration.