Article by Alexandru Stanciu – published Monday, October 13, 2025 21:00 / Updated Monday, October 13, 2025 9:01
The White House will launch a $ 500 million federal program to strengthen air security during the 2026 World Championship, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The measure aims to support state and local governments in developing drones defense systems, at a time when American authorities identify this type of technology as one of the biggest threats to the security of large events, notes Abola.pt.
The United States of America is investing $ 500 million to strengthen drone defense at World Championships
The plan, led by the working group of the White House for the 2026 World Championship, coordinated by Andrew Giuliani, aims to ensure the protection of the matches that will take place on the North American territory.
The host cities will be able to use financing to purchase equipment capable of detecting, blocking or neutralizing the drones that enter the air space above the stadiums.
According to Giuliani, “governors, police chiefs and stadiums safety, they consider it essential to have these tools to protect the locations of the matches”.
The program is part of a broader effort of the US government to deal with threats from the air, either from terrorist groups, criminals or simple negligent users, and appears in the context of other major international events that the country will host, such as the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026 and the Los Angeles games.
Currently, only federal agencies, such as the Department of Internal Security and the Department of Justice, have legal authority to intercept or neutralize drones.
The White House studies temporary mechanisms to allow local security forces to do so during the tournament, if the Congress will not adopt a new legislation.
Concerns are not only security, but also strategic. The US government wants to use the World Cup as an impulse to accelerate innovation in the drone sector and to strengthen US competitiveness in this area.
“We will use the World Championship as an emergency factor. The matches start in nine months and there is no place for delays. We need to make sure that everything is carried out in conditions of maximum safety”, Said Andrew Giuliani.
