Tech Talk: Seattle, FIFA World Cup host cities ramp up anti-drone security ahead of 2026 tournament as threat concerns grow

As Seattle prepares to host its fourth 2026 FIFA World Cup match, federal and local officials are ramping up anti-drone security efforts amid growing concerns about airborne threats at major sporting events.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it has invested more than $115 million in counter-drone technology to protect World Cup stadiums and large-scale celebrations tied to America’s 250th anniversary. Roughly $20 million of that funding was expected to go to Seattle.

The announcement comes as security officials warned that drones are becoming one of the fastest-growing risks at major public events, with the potential for unauthorized surveillance, airspace disruption, or coordinated attacks.

Seattle is one of 11 U.S. host cities preparing for the international soccer tournament, and is expected to draw approximately a million visitors.

Security concerns were highlighted last Friday during a World Cup match between the U.S. and Australia, when Seattle police seized 11 drones and arrested two people accused of flying them in violation of the FAA’s three-mile no-fly zone around Lumen Field during game operations.

On the same day, U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd announced federal authorities had arrested multiple suspects, including a 21-year-old from Mason County, in an alleged plot involving drones and explosives targeting a UFC event held on the White House lawn in Washington, D.C.

“If it wasn’t for the intervention of law enforcement, I do believe they could have carried out … a mass casualty event at the White House,” Floyd explained. “From the highest level of our government and the beginning of all the planning for World Cup, that’s been a major focus for the FBI and then they’ve branched out training local law enforcement.”

Both incidents underscore what officials said have been months of coordinated planning between federal, state, and local agencies to strengthen defenses against potential drone-related threats.

“The key is visibility,” said Melissa Swisher, chief revenue officer at SkySafe, a drone detection and airspace intelligence company that works with government agencies. “You need to know what’s in the airspace and determine whether it’s authorized or potentially nefarious.”

Drones are a new challenge for law enforcement

Swisher said drones present a new and rapidly evolving challenge for security teams because they can be used for surveillance or disruption and are difficult to track without advanced systems.

“The technology is advancing incredibly fast … similar to how smartphones evolved,” Swisher said.

Federal officials have not disclosed which specific technologies will be deployed in Seattle, but defense and security companies are developing tools that include radio-frequency detection, drone-tracking software, and directed-energy countermeasures such as lasers and microwaves.

DHS previously announced that FEMA will also distribute about $250 million to states hosting World Cup matches to expand counter-drone capabilities.

Swisher said cities like Seattle already have strong coordination between law enforcement and emergency management agencies, but must continue adapting as drone technology evolves quickly.

“They’ve done a great job of preparing for traditional security threats, right, whether those are command coordinated command centers, police presence, and perimeter controls, and the challenge to starting to see those threats related to drones,” Swisher said. “Drones don’t respect any of those traditional ways. They don’t respect or care about road closures or perimeters, and essentially, that’s a gap. There’s this new category of threat that’s actually entering the airspace, that you know what I would say is that the world is reacting to.”

The 2026 tournament is expected to be one of the largest security operations in U.S. sporting history, with officials describing it as a major test ahead of global attention focused on North America.

Federal, state, and local agencies have not released detailed Seattle-specific counter-drone plans, but coordination efforts are expected to intensify as the tournament approaches.

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