My Philly Daily On Crime Column: Safeguarding The FIFA World Cup Events In Philadelphia

Philly Daily ran my On Crime column today on safeguarding the FIFA World Cup games.

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

Paul Davis: Safeguarding the FIFA World Cup events in Philadelphia – Philly Daily

I’m not a fan of soccer.

After serving two years on an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War, I went on to serve on a Navy tugboat at the U.S. nuclear submarine base at Holy Loch, Scotland.

Soccer, or football, as the rest of the world calls the sport – not to be confused with the faster, tougher, higher scoring and more competitive American football - was on Scottish TV’s then-three channels seemingly all of the time.

I grew to dislike the low-scoring sport, but I could then and now appreciate the athletic skills of the “footballers,” as the Scots called the players.

And now world soccer has come to Philadelphia.

“Every four years, billions of spectators around the globe tune in to soccer’s FIFA World Cup — the world’s most popular sporting event,” visitphiladelphia.com noted. “And in 2026, the party comes to America — just in time for the nation’s Semi quincentennial celebration.”

According to Visit Philadelphia, the FIFA World Cip 26 pits dozens of the world’s best national soccer (aka fútbol) teams against each other in a series of electrifying country-versus-country matchups.

With a lineup of 48 teams for 2026 (the most in FIFA World Cup history), the 39-day tournament takes place in 16 cities across North America, including right here in Philadelphia.

“Philly hosts six big matches at Lincoln Financial Field, expecting to draw more than half a million visitors in total to the city, as well as the 39-day FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill in East Fairmount Park,” Visit Philadelphia stated. “The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026, with Philly’s matchups being held between June 14 and July 4, 2026 - which happens to be the 250^th birthday of the United States.”  

For Philadelphia area soccer fans and the Philadelphia economy, the games here are a real boom.

But let’s hope that the economic boom is the only boom we experience, as the games being played here bring serious security threats. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia released information regarding security and safety during the soccer games,

“As Philadelphia is set to host the “world’s game” in the form of six FIFA World Cup matches, the law enforcement community stands ready to safeguard both our own citizens — as well as those visiting from around the globe — to ensure a safe and fun experience,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated. “The mass public congregation of American citizens and foreign tourists for a global entertainment event can pose notable threats to public safety — including terrorism, violence, threats and hoaxes, human trafficking, dangerous drugs, fraud and counterfeiting, threats by unauthorized drone aircraft, and other criminal activity.” 

The U.S. Department of Justice has led public safety preparations to anticipate, assess, and prevent the salient threats to the security of the matches and fans. U, S. Attorney David Metcalf also designated a World Cup Coordinator (“WCC”) from the office to convene public and private partners, including FIFA officials, to maximize law enforcement readiness. These efforts include:

1.     Developing, sharpening, and coordinating the criminal intelligence among all agencies to concentrate on threats particular to the FIFA World Cup events;

2.     Increasing and intensifying our contact with public agencies and private companies who can assist in the identification and prevention of FIFA-related threats; 

3.     Proactive deployment of increased federal, state, and local law enforcement resources — both technical and manpower — to physical locations or online networks vulnerable to such threats; 

4.     Imposing temporary flight restrictions to protected airspace — including from unauthorized drone aircraft; 

5.     Establishing a federal coordination team to respond to World Cup-related criminal activities. 

“It is a wonderful point of pride for our country to host the greatest spectacle of international sports. But the honor to host the FIFA World Cup games also carries the duty to protect them,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “These events represent historic moments for our city and region, and our focus remains on ensuring they are carried out safely, securely, and successfully for the public we serve. We are ready.”

Wayne A. Jacobs, the Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia Field Office, added, “This summer, Philadelphia stands at the epicenter of a series of historic and once-in-a-generation moments as we welcome visitors from across the globe for the World Cup and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation. No single agency can secure events of this scale alone. Our success is driven by the close coordination and partnership across local, state, and federal law enforcement, and most importantly, the public.”

Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) Philadelphia Nathan Abel stated, “Philadelphia is ready to welcome the world, and Homeland Security Investigations is proud to help make this World Cup safe and memorable. Working side by side with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, HSI will be targeting counterfeit World Cup gear and fake tickets, enhancing efforts to identify and disrupt human trafficking, and providing specialized support at the stadium, fan events, and key transit points so fans can focus on world class soccer.”

If you are aware of any criminal activity associated with the FIFA World Cup events, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.