World Cup 2026 live updates: SF students escort players during Bay Area matches

The Bay Area will host a Team USA World Cup match in Santa Clara next week, drawing heightened attention from federal and local authorities focused on public safety.

The Bay Area will host a Team USA World Cup match in Santa Clara next week, drawing heightened attention from federal and local authorities focused on public safety.

"Our teams are really excited to have the U.S. soccer team playing on July 1. So we'll keep our staying cadence," said Matt Cobo, acting special agent in charge for the FBI's San Francisco field office.

Cobo said the FBI and its partners are maintaining a consistent level of vigilance following earlier matches.

"We've been doing a great job through game four. All four games have seen all that work pay off in the preparation with our federal, local, and state partners. So we will maintain that high level of vigilance as we do in every single one of these games," he said.

A key focus is monitoring potential drone threats near stadiums. Authorities say unmanned aircraft pose risks in crowded environments and are closely regulated during major events.

The Transportation Security Administration says more than 300 drones have been seized near World Cup venues nationwide since the tournament began. In the Bay Area, officials report nine such incidents so far.

"I think we've seen even recently about that it can be used in a mass casualty situation or even plans for a mass casualty situation. So we want to, as our priority, protect the venue and protect the public from these drones. And so they can be used for bad actors and we want assure when these events are at its height and we're protecting that to its ability," Cobo said.

The TSA has issued reminders about "No Drone Zones" in effect during the tournament. All aircraft, including drones, are prohibited within a three-mile radius of stadiums and up to 3,000 feet above ground level on match days. Authorities say violators can face fines of up to $100,000, seizure of their drones and possible federal criminal charges.

The FBI, TSA and Federal Aviation Administration are coordinating surveillance efforts, using counter-drone technology and ground teams to enforce restrictions.

Federal officials say their efforts extend beyond physical security. The FBI is also monitoring for threats including terrorism, human trafficking and financial scams tied to the tournament. Anyone with information about potential threats is urged to report it at tips.fbi.gov.

Security experts emphasize that public awareness is also critical in maintaining safety at large events.

"They should keep their heads on a swivel. They should be aware of their surroundings. Look up from your phone. Pay attention to things that look out of place. Talk to your family about what you might do if you become separated, where you'll meet up," said Matt Osborne, a former CIA officer and security expert.

Authorities say they will continue working with local law enforcement to ensure safety at both stadium events and watch parties throughout the region.

The U.S. is easing its restrictions on Iran's World Cup team, allowing the squad to travel into the country two days before its next match, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.

The team will still be required to leave after Friday's match in Seattle, a department spokesperson said. A spokesperson for the Iran Football Federation confirmed that the team will leave its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, on Wednesday for Seattle.

"This was planned on our end," Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, told The Associated Press. "We were going to look at how the first two movements went, and if they went smoothly, we would extend the extra day in light of the longer travel time."

The policy change was first reported by NBC News and comes as officials from both countries negotiate over how to end the war in Iran.

Iran's squad has complained about the travel restrictions levied on the team, and the challenges it has faced since the outbreak of war. Iran originally sought to move its group stage matches to Mexico, with whom it has diplomatic ties. The team's base camp was relocated from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana. Several team officials and members of the support staff have been barred from traveling into the U.S. with the team.

For the first two matches, in Los Angeles, the team was not permitted to travel until the day before, which Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei repeatedly said put the team at a disadvantage. The team had less than 24 hours on the ground before its noon match Sunday. "Right now we need recovery more than anything," Ghalenoei said through a translator after the 0-0 draw against Belgium. "The conditions have been extremely hard for us."

It's not uncommon for teams to travel a day before the match, and it's in line with FIFA regulations, which state that "each team shall travel from its team base camp to the match venue one day before matchday (MD1) and in exceptional cases on MD2, and shall return to their team base camp after the match (on MD/MD+1)."

But Iran had asked for more time to acclimate to host cities and recover after matches, especially for the 1,200-mile (1,930-kilometer) trip to Seattle. The team has scheduled a Thursday training at the University of Washington.

"We don't ask for much. We just ask for the same procedure as for all the other 47 teams," Iran national team player Alireza Jahanbakhsh said Sunday. "Hopefully we can bring everyone who is involved and help us with us."

The Iran team has also said it experienced difficulties entering and exiting the U.S. each time it made the 127-mile (204-kilometer) flight between Tijuana and Los Angeles. The typically short trip took five hours the day before its first match against New Zealand, team captain Mehdi Taremi said.

Hours before Sunday's match against Belgium, U.S. Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin told Fox News the Iranians had "tried to get somebody in yesterday" who had direct ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. In a statement, the soccer federation vociferously pushed back, calling the claim "an outright and undeniable lie."

It's unclear whether Iran's upcoming opponent, Egypt, will also be allowed to arrive in Seattle two days early. After its 3-1 victory against New Zealand in Vancouver Sunday, Egypt asked to fly directly to Seattle. FIFA denied that request, citing a lack of security resources to accommodate the last-minute demand. Egypt returned to its base camp in Spokane, Washington, a 45-minute flight from Seattle.

Egypt's national team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in six different World Cup tournaments on Tuesday, getting a goal in the sixth minute of Portugal's match against Uzbekistan.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo made history when João Cancelo crossed it to him and he shot with his right foot to make it 1-0. He ran toward the bench and celebrated with his teammates after the score.

The goal makes him the second-oldest player to score at a World Cup behind Cameroon forward Roger Milla, who was 42 when he scored at the 1994 tournament in the United States.

Ronaldo's goal comes after he was criticized for failing to score in Portugal's 1-1 draw against Congo in the team's opening match.

Ronaldo and Argentina captain Lionel Messi became the only men in history to play in six World Cup tournaments this year. Ronaldo's scoring streak started in his debut in 2006 and he also netted goals in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022.

While he shares the record for most tournaments with Messi, he stands alone in scoring a goal in each edition after Messi failed to score a goal at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Ronaldo's goal Tuesday gave him nine goals in the tournament. Messi has 18 after a hat trick in Argentina's opener against Algeria and two more goals Monday against Austria that made him the all-time leading scorer in tournament history.

Tuesday's game was the 230th of Ronaldo's international career, which is the most in history.

This is likely to be the final World Cup for Ronaldo, who won the European Championship with Portugal in 2016 and the Champions League five times with Manchester United and Real Madrid.

With the Bay Area helping host FIFA World Cup matches, a group of San Francisco students is getting a chance to participate on the global stage.

With the Bay Area helping host FIFA World Cup matches, a group of San Francisco students is getting a chance to participate on the global stage.

Students in the Street Soccer USA San Francisco program have had a presence at matches in Santa Clara, where nearly 30 youth are serving as player escorts across three matches, including Monday.

"We've got the opportunity to walk alongside team Qatar and Switzerland and Paraguay and Australia," said Keith Hsu Chernin, Street Soccer USA San Francisco Bay Area Managing Director. "And later Monday, we'll have some players that can walk with the Jordanian and Algerian teams."

Participants in the program come from neighborhoods including the Tenderloin, Mission, Bayview and East Cut. Among them is 11-year-old Angelina Rodriguez of the Tenderloin, who walked onto the field with players from Qatar.

"It was really fun and exciting," Rodriguez said.

"It was special for me because it was my first time at the World Cup," she added.

Chernin said the opportunity carries deeper meaning for the students and their families.

"What a special thing to be able to represent your community on the world stage. People seeing our players or players from the Tenderloin standing next to the best players in the world," he said. "Many of them who are representing countries that are the same as the countries of heritage of our players themselves, which is really cool. We're really excited for many of our Algerian players and families to be represented out there Monday next to the Algerian nation."

Looking ahead, the U.S. Men's National Team is scheduled to play a knockout-round match in Santa Clara on July 1. Program leaders say they hope their students will have the chance to escort the U.S. team onto the field.

"At the moment, we are not on the schedule to be escorting Team USA for that game, but I am staying close to my phone in case that changes, because that would be an amazing opportunity," Chernin said.

Street Soccer USA San Francisco serves youth ranging from kindergarten through age 24.