CBP scores big for America during FIFA World Cup™ 2026

WASHINGTON — The historic FIFA World Cup™ 2026 is underway, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection has deployed a nationwide team of over 700 employees dedicated to working with international, federal, state, and local partners to support the tournament while keeping the nation and the millions of worldwide soccer fans safe.

"Our mission at CBP is to secure our nation while facilitating legitimate trade and travel," said CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott. "For the FIFA World Cup™, this means ensuring a safe, secure, and efficient experience for all visitors, while vigorously protecting our economy and consumers from illicit goods like counterfeits."

CBP's strategy for FIFA World Cup™ 2026 focuses on efficient traveler processing, robust security measures, and aggressive enforcement against illegal trade and human trafficking.

To prepare for the surge in international visitors to the United States, CBP’s Office of Field Operations processed millions of Electronic System for Travel Authorization applications, launched a dedicated FIFA World Cup™ website and developed an AI virtual assistant named Compass, which has already answered more than 78,000 traveler inquiries in their preferred language. CBP also enrolled over 2.1 million applicants prior to the tournament and hosted 14 Global Entry and NEXUS Enrollment Events overseas, enrolling an additional 10,000 new trusted travelers ahead of the World Cup.

So far in fiscal year 2026, CBP protected economic security by seizing over $29 million in FIFA-related counterfeit merchandise, based on Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail price had the goods been genuine. CBP’s Truth Behind Counterfeits website features a factsheet on the dangers of purchasing FIFA counterfeits. CBP’s Office of Trade played a key role in working with intellectual property rights holders, developing and providing guidance to frontline officers, and ensuring effective interdiction of counterfeit products. CBP’s seizure of fake goods is about more than protecting intellectual property rights. It is about protecting economic security, preventing proceeds from reaching the hands of criminal organizations, and stopping illegal enterprises that profit off of forced labor. 

Security doesn’t just stop on the ground. CBP’s Air and Marine Operations has also been instrumental in supporting FIFA World Cup™. In Kansas City, AMO provided real-time video downlink and critical operational awareness to local law enforcement agencies on the ground. AMO’s persistent air surveillance enables rapid detection and response to potential threats, significantly enhancing the overall safety and security of the event.

CBP, in coordination with federal, state, and local partners have implemented the most comprehensive airspace security and drone mitigation effort in U.S. history, protecting the airspace for the FIFA World Cup 2026, resulting in the seizure of over 600 unauthorized drones to date. In the first week of the tournament alone, DHS and the FBI in Georgia worked together to seize 21 drones flying in World Cup-related restricted airspace, a clear example of how proactive Unmanned Aircraft Systems keep communities safer.

Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Florida stop illegal activity and facilitate lawful commerce into and out of the United States.

To learn more about how CBP is supporting the FIFA World Cup™, visit the CBP website. Suspected intellectual property rights violations, fraud, or illegal trade activity can be reported by contacting CBP through the e-Allegations Online Trade Violations Reporting System or by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT. 

See CBP in action on DVIDS, DVIDS2 and YouTube.