Security expert previews what venues will look like during World Cup

The World Cup will take place at 16 different venues this summer, 11 of which will host NFL games each fall and winter.

You might think not much will change on the security front, but whatever NFL fans see, it will be on steroids, and for good reason.

Forty-eight teams will compete for the coveted trophy in North America over the course of 104 matches, and just about everything we’re used to seeing at a sporting event will be thrown out the window.

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To use MetLife Stadium, which will host the final, for example, NJ Transit train tickets cost $98, Penn Station will be closed to non-World Cup participants four hours before the games, and no parking is available aside from the nearly $300 “premium parking” at the nearby American Dream mall.

But security-wise, there are massive changes because for the vast majority of fans in attendance, everything will be new.

“When you have different people from different countries who have flown in with different languages ​​and currencies and are unfamiliar with the subway systems, you have to put more rigor into it,” said Peter Evans, CEO of security company Xtract One Technologies, in an interview with PK Press Club Digital.

Evans also mentioned that in a heightened political environment, the environment could become irritable quite quickly.

“There are people who came just for this game and spent a lot of money. They might bring their political views or topics they want to make a statement about to an event like MetLife Stadium, which attracts worldwide attention and scrutiny. The security risks are different than at a Super Bowl,” Evans said.

Teams like Evans’ Xtract One will team up with FIFA security teams, local law enforcement and even other agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who will participate in the games for security reasons but not customs enforcement, hoping for as smooth sailing as possible.

“People start planning these activities years in advance because there is a lot of complexity that involves local law enforcement, DHS, FBI, CIA and Interpol. It requires a lot of coordination when it comes to technology, social media analytics and even counter-drone activities. It’s especially complex now because of AI software, smartphones and drones,” Evans said.

MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey will host matches for the 2026 World Cup. (Getty Images)

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“Security leaders don’t see each other as competitors. They share a common interest in keeping people safe. You’ll see organizations like ours partner with competitors to deliver the right solution.”

It also shouldn’t surprise anyone that President Donald Trump is in attendance at multiple games — he attended the Club World Cup finals at MetLife last July, and he just attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals. If so, Evans said it should be announced as soon as possible “so people have time to prepare accurately.”

“There are several additional layers because these activities are a potential target for someone who wants notoriety and impact. When you add a president to the welcoming ceremony, it just increases the security levels even more and requires coordination,” he said.

Given the number of matches in such a short period, Evans believes security teams will change protocols on the fly and take notes from previous matches across the continent. And while it’s almost impossible to completely avoid conflict, Evans believes it’s possible to minimize the risks as best you can.

“I think individuals would be very surprised to see how much sharing and coordination is happening. We see this with arenas and stadiums; for example, on a Harry Styles tour, all the venues were coming together to share what they had learned – like people hiding items in Big Bird or fanny pack outfits. There is an incredible amount of sharing in a coordinated way and debrief calls after each event to allow time to adjust before the next game,” Evans said.

U.S. fans pass through security checks as they arrive to watch training in Irvine, California, June 8, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

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“The main goal is to minimize the risk and the impact. You have millions of people in attendance with their children and their families. Ultimately, you want to make sure that no one in that group of fans is negatively affected. Is someone going to get drunk and disorderly? Probably. How quickly can you contain that risk so that the general population has the experience they should have?

“Victory: no one gets hurt.”

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