US authorities said on Wednesday that the country’s President Donald Trump “does not rule out anything”, nor the implementation of raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the 2026 World Cup matches, which will be held in June and July in North America, and indicated that ICE may make arrests during the matches.
“I have known the president for 25 years, and he does not rule out anything that would help improve the security of American citizens,” Andrew Giuliani, director of the White House working group to prepare for the men’s soccer World Cup, said at a press conference.
The son of the former New York mayor and former Trump lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, also specified that “yes” it would be possible to see arrests by ICE during clashes between teams, whether in or around stadiums, because Trump “wants people to come legally to the United States and follow due process.” “This way we can also determine who is here,” he added.
“We want to welcome everyone to come legally,” the official stressed, also noting that the visa evaluation process is no different for those who want to go to the United States specifically for the World Cup. “Even with FIFA’s priority scheduling system, although people can move forward on the waiting list if they have a ticket (for a match), they will still be subject to the usual control procedures required to enter the country,” he said.
As reported, the United States expects “between five and seven million international visitors” during the tournament, with Washington prioritizing security. He stressed, “We celebrate the great enthusiasm that this tournament will bring (…). What we do not accept and will not tolerate are disturbances that threaten the safety of fans or communities.”
For this reason, he highlighted, among other measures, the creation by the Federal Police (FBI) and the Ministry of Homeland Security of an “international police coordination center,” as well as the spending of $625 million (more than 536 million euros) “to support law enforcement, from training and exercises to cybersecurity and emergency response,” and $500 million (about 429 million euros) on systems against illegal drones.