FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post Wednesday that preventing terrorist attacks is the agency's top priority during the tournament.
"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 ideologies. We are totally determined to head off any potential incidents and ensure the safety of players, fans, and all Americans and visitors during the tournament," Patel wrote.
Matt Cobo, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI's San Francisco Field Office, said the effort -- dubbed "Operation Goal Kick" -- is a coordinated, multi-agency approach to keeping fans and participants safe.
"Safety and security is everything to us. There are a lot of international matters going on in the Middle East and other parts of the world, and so we're very focused in on just the safety. And we're also leveraging intelligence centers back in Washington, D.C.," Cobo said. "So we have the International Police Cooperation Center that is based out in Virginia, and those bring in some of our international police units that are able to really understand what those threats are in those particular countries, and then help us to action that here in the U.S."
The FBI plans to establish a command post in San Jose similar to the one activated during the Super Bowl. Cobo said the operation will involve partner agencies working together to assess and respond to potential threats.
"This brings in over 20 different partnerships, in which, we are going to go ahead and assess threats. We're going to action those threats. We're going to work with our local partners, our federal partners, to really get the maximum understanding of what those threats are and making sure that everyone has a really safe and secure event here, not only here, but across the whole U.S.," he said.
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The agency has also conducted recent training exercises involving specialized teams, including evidence response units, bomb technicians and intelligence personnel.
"Our specialty teams, which will be on call and some actually involved in the day-to-day operations. Those include our SWAT teams, our evidence response teams, our special agents and bomb techs, our intelligence teams. We've been in ongoing training," Cobo said.
Officials are also warning of strict no drone zones around World Cup venues. Violations could result in fines, confiscation of equipment or prosecution.
"Our message is pretty clear. Don't fly your drones over the restricted airspace. We had some good repetitions during the 49er games and during the Super Bowls. We have federal prosecutors. If you are found in that restricted area, you could have your drone seized. You could face federal prosecutions, and it's just something that we don't want to have that event involving that," Cobo said.
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Beyond security threats, the FBI said it is also monitoring concerns, such as human trafficking, rental scams and illegal gambling, during the tournament. The public is encouraged to report suspicious activity through the agency's tip line.
When asked whether ICE will be at the Super Bowl, the FBI said it keeps communication open with partners at Department of Homeland Security, but it doesn't have information on its specific operations.