It is the pinnacle of football every four years, and now, just weeks before it begins, it is on everyone’s lips. Its execution requires three countries with enormous organizational availability to meet the needs of the 48 participating teams, who will play 104 matches.
This is the XXIII FIFA World Cup, and its organization, led by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), has grown so much that it has significantly exceeded the logistical capacity of stadiums and infrastructure that a single country can manage. More than 70 training fields, large hotel capacity, and this can be found in no fewer than 16 host cities.
Therefore, the decision was made to distribute the enormous organizational responsibility among the three largest economies in North America, facilitating an impressive organization and significantly reducing financial risks to achieve the maximum in the business of television rights, sponsorships, and ticket sales. We are talking about the United States, Canada, and Mexico, vigorous neighboring countries that make up the North American region and share direct land borders (in the case of Canada and the U.S., it is the longest international border in the world) and have close integration.
Security protocols
This 2026 World Cup is closely linked to cybersecurity because it is one of the most attacked sporting events in history. By the end of the championship, millions of cyberattack attempts driven by the use of artificial intelligence, focused on data theft and financial fraud, will be evident.
Like never before, FIFA, along with the three local organizing committees, is implementing strict security protocols, several of which are already underway. These include constant police coordination, the use of biometric surveillance systems, and the official publication of the Stadium Code of Conduct, which prohibits the entry of 30 specific items into stadiums. It is the official regulation that sets out the mandatory rules and behaviors that every attendee (fan, worker, or accredited personnel) must comply with to ensure a safe, respectful, and organized environment within a sports venue.
Prohibited items
The official list of restricted items includes weapons, tasers, multitools, pyrotechnics, laser pointers, smoke bombs, rockets, gunpowder, aerosols, and large backpacks. The entry of external food and drinks, glass bottles, cans, containers, professional photography and video equipment, drones, computers, tablets, and selfie sticks is also restricted.
Cheering in the stands will have specific limits: sirens, horns, whistles, musical instruments, masks, blankets, signs, or flags that exceed the permitted dimensions or have handles cannot be brought into the football fields. The World Cup will be inaugurated at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on Thursday, June 11.
But it also marks a unique precedent in history with the implementation of surveillance operations using advanced technology and biometric control at stadium entrances. Precisely, FIFA President Gianni Infantino held conversations with the host governments to achieve “state guarantees of security to protect attendees, delegations, and tourists throughout the tournament.”
In these official meetings, it has been considered that criminals take advantage of global expectations by using artificial intelligence to clone websites and impersonate FIFA. At the same time, due to migration policies throughout the North American region formed by the three host countries, FIFA has already requested the United States to carry out “a temporary moratorium on immigration raids” in host cities to “avoid tensions and ensure the free movement of sports tourism.”
The first cyberattacks have already occurred
The registration of fraudulent domains and scam platforms to clone websites and impersonate FIFA has grown exponentially, with the aim of stealing personal or banking data. Reports from official security agencies indicate that there is already “a historic surge in cyberattacks against organizations and users in each of these countries.” Mexico leads the number of recorded attacks, with a weekly average of 3,548 attacks. It is followed by Canada with 1,649 attacks in recent weeks, and the U.S. with 1,497 intrusions.
Other sectors that must also have extensive and sophisticated surveillance are the hotel, travel, and transportation industries. Therefore, critical evaluations are conducted in key public concentration areas, according to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Among the numerous suggestions and recommendations to protect against threats, it is recommended to “purchase tickets only through the official platform at FIFA Tickets, buy products in official stores to prevent counterfeit items that fund organized crime, and avoid unauthorized streaming services that are frequently used to deploy malware.”
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