Security during the FIFA World Cup in the United States is under threat

The FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place from June 14 to July 19, 2026, in the United States, Canada, and Mexico

Officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, speaking at a hearing of the House Committee on Homeland Security, warned about security risks during the World Cup, as well as issues related to cybersecurity, disaster response, and Coast Guard operations, Kazinform’s correspondent reports from Washington.

According to NBC News, due to a prolonged partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees will not have enough time to complete training to handle the influx of fans across the country during the upcoming World Cup.

“We expect a significant increase in the number of fans. Even if the TSA hires new employees after the shutdown ends, they will not be able to begin work at checkpoints before the World Cup concludes,” said Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen MCNEILL.

Nicholas Andersen, Acting Deputy Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), stated that about 60% of the agency’s employees have been furloughed or are unable to work.

Victoria BARTON, Deputy Assistant Administrator for External Affairs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), said that the Disaster Relief Fund, which helps finance disaster response efforts, is being rapidly depleted. According to Barton, if the shutdown continues and the fund is exhausted, FEMA will be unable to finance many disaster recovery efforts.

Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, Admiral Thomas Allen, stated that the Coast Guard has not had sufficient funding to operate and pay its personnel for 85 out of the past 176 days. The Coast Guard, which is part of the U.S. Armed Forces, has halted many preparations for the World Cup and is unable to pay more than 5,000 utility bills, raising the risk of widespread outages affecting critical infrastructure.

Lawmakers blamed each other for the recent shutdown, which led to the suspension of some Department of Homeland Security programs while the White House and Congress disputed immigration and voting legislation.

It should be noted that the FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place from June 14 to July 19, 2026, in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Photo credit: NDTV Sports.

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