Markwayne Mullin warns World Cup 2026 threat level | Sports News

The FIFA World Cup is simply over a month away, with the U.S. getting ready to co-host the expanded match alongside Mexico and Canada.

Out of 16 venues scheduled to be used, 11 are positioned within the U.S., which can host 78 of the match’s 104 matches, culminating within the Final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Yet, regardless of current approval of authorities security funding following the extensively reported shutdown, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has issued a warning in regards to the elevated security threat going through the nation within the weeks forward.

In an interview with FOX Business, Mullin acknowledged, “We have FIFA coming — the World Cup soccer. Over 39 days, we’re gonna have basically 78 Super Bowls in 11 cities.

“We’re going to have 5 to seven million guests coming from everywhere in the world. We’re going to have groups from everywhere in the world. We really feel like that threat level is extraordinarily high, particularly in delicate areas exterior of the stadiums.

“Because of the shutdown, that has put us in quite a bind to meet that threat need. Now, we’re gonna do it, it definitely has hindered our ability to be as proactive as we would like.”

FEMA allotted $625 million via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in mid-March, following the conclusion of the partial shutdown in late April.

“We are proud of the collaborative efforts between federal agencies, local partners and the White House Task Force in preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” stated Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, in a assertion.

“This grant program provides valuable funding to host cities, helping them strengthen security operations and protect their communities. It demonstrates President Trump’s commitment to supporting our partners and ensuring a safe and successful tournament for all.”

The announcement follows FEMA’s December allocation of $250 million to host states via the Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Grant Program. These sources will help tackle the growing threat posed by unmanned drones.

In mid-April, former Department of Homeland Security official Juliette Kayyem instructed NPR that the security challenges going through match organizers “are going to be familiar to listeners – terror, weather, drones, cyber, crowd crush, crowd control – all the things you worry about when you bring a lot of people together.

“I call this second group – I do not know what to call them. I call it the signs-of-our-time threats, and there is common hostility to the U.S. and the conflict and the best way that the administration has launched into its overseas coverage with each our allies and enemies.”

The current geopolitical climate appears to be having a measurable impact on host cities in other ways, with hotel reservations falling significantly short of expectations, particularly among international travelers.

A recent report from The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) revealed that despite more than five million World Cup tickets being sold, hotel bookings have lagged considerably behind.

Follow-up surveys pointed to visa problems and wider anxieties in regards to the current geopolitical scenario as key components which have mixed to dampen demand from abroad guests.