Sports · World Cup · ArchiveFBI Reports Zero Major Incidents at 2026 World Cup — 700+ Drones SeizedAired July 23, 2026 at 12:55 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00The FBI is calling the 2026 World Cup0:02the safest in history. Today, Director0:05Cash Patel released the numbers behind0:07that claim. Zero major security0:09incidents across 78 matches, 11 venues,0:12and nearly 7 million fans. It was the0:14largest sustained security operation in0:16FBI history. Nearly 5,000 FBI personnel0:20were deployed over 16 months. Mobile0:22command centers were stationed at all 110:24host venues, and the bureau hosted0:26international police officers from every0:27participating nation. Over 1000:30intelligence reports were disseminated0:31during the tournament. At the center of0:33the effort, this stretch of geography0:35from MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to0:37Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, where the0:39FBI created its first-ever counter-UAS0:41drone school. More than 700 unauthorized0:44drones were seized during the0:45tournament, a direct result of the0:47bureau's new drone countermeasures0:49program, which trained operators right0:52here at Redstone Arsenal. Here's the0:54full picture. 5,000 personnel, 780:56matches, nearly 7 million fans, and0:59against those odds, zero major1:00incidents. The scale of this operation1:02was unprecedented for the bureau.1:04Director Patel framed the results as a1:06major success for the bureau, but his1:08rollout of the numbers is drawing1:10criticism from some corners. Critics are1:12questioning the timing and tone of the1:13announcement, calling it1:15self-promotional for a director who has1:17been laser-focused on reshaping the1:18bureau's public image. And there is the1:20question of accountability. Taxpayers1:23funded this massive security apparatus,1:25and while the results are impressive by1:26the numbers, the political optics of the1:28victory lap have some wondering about1:30the motivation behind it. The bottom1:32line, the 2026 World Cup is over, and by1:35the FBI's own accounting, it passed1:37without a major security crisis.1:40The drones are confiscated, the command1:42centers are packed up, but the questions1:44about how this success was communicated1:46and what it cost are only just1:47beginning.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗