Alarm before the World Cup: 'Matches will be safe, but we cannot stop a lone wolf'

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin acknowledged that while security for the 2026 World Cup matches will be exceptionally high, the threat of "lone wolf" attacks cannot be entirely eliminated. The U.S. is set to host 78 of the 104 matches in the tournament, which it is co-organizing with Mexico and Canada.

"The matches that will be held in the eleven American host cities of the 2026 World Cup, which begins on Thursday and will be played for more than a month, will be very secure, but we still cannot control some lone wolf," Mullin told Fox News. He compared the upcoming games in U.S. stadiums to hosting "78 Super Bowls in 38 days."

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The matches that will be held in the eleven American host cities of the 2026 World Cup, which begins on Thursday and will be played for more than a month, will be very secure, but we still cannot control some lone wolf.

Security efforts have been significantly enhanced, with all host cities cooperating closely. Mullin specifically highlighted areas outside the main security perimeter as a particular concern, leading to an increased police presence in those zones. He also mentioned that visa rejections by the administration at the start of the World Cup were justified, though he declined to discuss specific cases.

Eleven of the sixteen World Cup stadiums are located in the United States, spanning from Boston to San Francisco. The tournament kicks off with a match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on Thursday. The U.S. team will play its first match against Paraguay in Los Angeles on Friday, and the final is scheduled for July 19 in a New York suburb.

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We have really stepped up our efforts. All of our host cities have really cooperated. The games will be very secure, as much as they can be. But we cannot control the lone wolf.