How FIFA World Cup 2026 Plans to Tackle Drone Risks

In the winter of 2022, a record 1.5 billion people tuned into the FIFA World Cup Final. Additionally, nearly 3.5 million people made the journey to Qatar to watch the games in person, making the tournament one of the most popular sporting experiences in the world.

In 2026, the World Cup will welcome millions more fans to games in 12 cities across North America. One of the individuals responsible for ensuring the safety of both players and fans is G.B. Jones, Chief Safety & Security Officer of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

One of the major threats to security at the World Cup, as well as many major sporting events around the world, is drones. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) such as drones can carry harmful objects, disrupt games, and be hard to detect, all of which G.B. and his team are aware of before the World Cup begins in June 2026.

Before attending IDGA’s Counter UAS Summit, G.B. Jones sat down with IDGA to discuss drone mitigation strategies for the 2026 World Cup. This March, another FIFA representative will present at an IDGA event. This time, Helmut Sphan, Director of Safety, Security, and Access for FIFA, will participate in IDGA’s Homeland Security Week where he will represent FIFA on a panel to discuss protecting public venues from emerging drone threats. To view the full roster of speakers participating in Homeland Security Week, taking place March 17-18 in National Harbor, Maryland, click here.