WASHINGTON — FBI Director Kash Patel announced on Wednesday that law enforcement will prioritize counterterrorism operations during the FIFA World Cup.
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In a statement, Patel said the FBI was partnering with other law enforcement agencies during the 78 matches at 11 cities, including Miami.
“Extremists have used major global sporting events in the past to do harm and spread their twisted ideologies,” Patel said. “We are totally determined to head off any potential incidents.”
The FBI has 200 multi-agency Joint Terrorism Task Forces, including bomb technicians and divers at the ready, according to Patel.
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“Our experts are outfitting and staffing event operations centers, intelligence operations centers, and mobile command posts designed to stay on top of threats,” Patel said.
Analysts will be performing background checks to produce numerous intelligence reports, according to Patel, who asked the public to “stay alert, and report any suspicious activity.”
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Related social media post
June 10: Preventing terrorism during the 2026 FIFA World Cup
For the FBI and its partners, preventing terrorist attacks is job #1 during the upcoming 2026 @FIFAWorldCup
Extremists have used major global sporting events in the past to do harm and spread their twisted…
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— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 10, 2026
