The FBI seized more than 700 illegal drones during the 2026 World Cup and detected nearly 1,600 more flying into restricted ‘no-fly’ airspace around the games, the bureau has revealed.

The figures, shared with the Daily Mail by director Kash Patel, pull the curtain back on the scale of the airborne threat hanging over the largest sporting event in history, one that drew millions of fans to 16 host cities across North America.

Unauthorized drone operators faced up to $100,000 in fines and a year in federal prison, depending on the severity of the offense. It’s unknown how many fines have been administered.

To counter them, the FBI deployed a fairly new form of airborne defense designed to identify and neutralize drones flying into protected zones around stadiums and affiliated ‘fan fests.’

‘The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the largest sporting event in the history of the world, shattering previous attendance records by double digits,’ Patel told the Daily Mail. ‘It was the equivalent of 78 Super Bowls in 38 days, along with 40 base camps, endless fan zones, and celebrations in nearly every state.’

The security operation was a herculean undertaking: Sixteen months of planning, a dedicated World Cup Task Force, and coordination with 50 federal agencies and some 400 more state and local law enforcement organizations.

The FBI alone dedicated nearly 5,000 personnel across headquarters, field, and international offices.

‘We stood up a Joint Ops Center, International Police Coordination Center, Intelligence Coordination Center, and more, all from scratch, to collect and share intel in live time,’ Patel said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and FBI director Kash Patel at the 2026 World Cup game between Colombia and Portugal in Miami on June 27

Norway fans cheering on their country before the team played Brazil in New Jersey on July 5

Lionel Messi receives his runner-up medal from President Donald Trump following the final match of the 2026 World Cup on Sunday

The audience at the final game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey

President Donald Trump took to social media Monday to praise the ‘spectacular success’ of the tournament, which he called ‘by far’ the safest in FIFA history.

But it was not without its unique security challenges.

Securing a weeks-long international tournament is no small feat, and Patel told the Daily Mail it involved the largest resource dedication the FBI has ever made for any event.

In the run-up to the World Cup, the FBI conducted some 300,000 background checks. The FBI also hosted the International Police Cooperation Center, or a secure, real-time ‘command center’ staffed by US federal agencies and law enforcement from 44 host countries. 

And it ensured that any illegal drone flights would be met with an adept, well-trained response.  

In preparation for the rise in unmanned aircraft, the FBI dispatched state and local law enforcement to Huntsville, Alabama – where a portion of its 22,000-square-foot replica town was repurposed temporarily for ‘counter-drone’ training, with the goal of helping officers track and intercept illegal drone flights. 

Argentina fans watching the final match of the 2026 World Cup, which they lost 1-0 to Spain 

Young Spanish fans mock crying faces for Argentina after the South Americans lost the final

A police officer gives instructions to Argentina fans before their quarter-final match in Kansas City on July 11

Kash Patel told the Daily Mail that the World Cup involved the largest resource dedication the FBI has ever made for any event

The beefed-up drone defense comes as the US and other countries have seen a sharp uptick in the ownership and use of so-called unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

There are roughly 800,000 legally registered drones in the US – and many more who may be operating illegally, according to data from the FAA. 

Protecting the airspace surrounding major events has, in turn, become a top priority of the US government. 

The FBI banned drones from flying within 3,000 feet of all World Cup stadiums, and within a 1,000-foot radius of any official ‘fan fests’ hosted outside the games.