The Ackerman Group is undertaking periodic security assessments in advance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to take place from 11 June to 19 July across 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The 48 teams competing will be the most ever. The scale of the event also is unprecedented, with an estimated 6 million visitors expected to travel to the three North American countries, including fans, athletes, dignitaries, support staff and media personnel.
The broad geographic scope and varied threat landscapes present a uniquely complex security challenge.
In Mexico, the paramount concern is violent crime.
Matches will be held in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey—each of which presents persistent risks.
At the best of times, armed robbery, extortion, and express and virtual kidnappings are prevalent, with risks increasing after dark.
Protests occur frequently across Mexico and can disrupt mobility.
The Mexican government is expected to deploy substantial numbers of police and military personnel in the host cities, particularly near stadiums, transportation hubs, entertainment districts and other places where fans congregate.
But the deterrent effect remains to be seen, and risks of both violent and non-confrontational crime must be considered high.
This service recommends serious precautions in Mexico:
- Personnel, both Mexican and foreign, should practice rigorous security precautions throughout the country.
- Senior executives should be accompanied at all times by vetted and experienced protective personnel. The primary role of protective personnel is to manage movements to and from stadiums, hotels, and other venues with a constant eye toward crime risks and crowd dynamics. In the event of a serious incident, the judgement and responsiveness of experienced escorts may prove critical.
- Daytime pedestrian activity outside of all but the most secure public areas is strongly discouraged. No pedestrian activity can be sanctioned after dark.
- Personnel in Mexico for the World Cup should check in regularly with corporate security staff. They should monitor the news with the aim of avoiding or minimizing exposure to security incidents.
- Crisis Management Teams should prepare location-specific response plans.
In the United States, the World Cup will be hosted in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle.
Organized terrorism risks are low, but such attacks cannot be ruled out completely.
The possibility of lone-wolf extremist attacks cannot be discounted. High-profile international events like the World Cup offer visibility for attackers seeking to make a political or ideological statement.
Mass shootings — a chronic problem in the US — conceivably could occur in or near match venues, particularly in public areas with limited security screening, such as fan zones, crowded sports bars, transit points, and commercial districts. Law enforcement will be heavily deployed, but the unpredictable nature of such attacks makes prevention difficult.
US conventional crime remains a serious concern.
Armed robbery and assault occur regularly in major urban areas and could impact visitors in entertainment zones or transit hubs.
Petty crime, such as pickpocketing, phone snatching, and vehicle break-ins, is also prevalent and expected to spike in crowded fan areas, bars, and public transportation networks during the tournament.
The risk of politically motivated protests is also elevated, as the World Cup presents a high-profile platform for activist groups across the ideological spectrum to stage demonstrations.
Disruptive or confrontational activity, including road blockages, sit-ins, and occasional clashes with police, cannot be ruled out
Canada, which will host matches in Toronto and Vancouver, shares many of the risks that pertain in the US, though at a lower level.
This service recommends serious precautions in the US and Canada:
- Personnel should exercise common sense precautions against petty and violent crime.
- Senior executives should be provided with protective personnel, particularly for transit to and from match venues, hotels, and high-profile events. Escorts should maintain situational awareness around potential risks such as crowd surges, flash protests, and lone-actor violence.
- All personnel should exercise vigilance in crowded areas, including stadiums, fan zones, public transport hubs, sports bars, and entertainment districts.
- Those attending the games should monitor the news with the aim of avoiding or minimizing exposure to security incidents.
| RECENT TOURNAMENTS |
Recent FIFA World Cups have been carried out without major security incidents.
In Qatar in 2022, strict state control and sweeping restrictions on public assembly virtually eliminated the risk of protest or disruption. Autocratic Russia in 2018 similarly maintained order through heavy-handed policing and surveillance.
In contrast, Brazil in 2014 experienced widespread street protests and labor strikes in the lead-up to and during the tournament. Though the matches themselves were largely unaffected, demonstrations regularly disrupted transportation infrastructure and required substantial security deployments to contain unrest.
Open societies hosting global events are more likely to see protest-related disruption.
| SECURITY OVERVIEW – MEXICO |
Violent crime remains the principal threat to visitors.
Armed robbery is a major problem, aggravated by the trigger-happy nature of many assailants.
Pedestrians are especially vulnerable.
Armed robberies of motorists have become increasingly common, even in affluent districts.
Perpetrators approach vehicles stopped at red lights or caught in traffic gridlock, which is common in urban centers throughout most of the day. They are after watches, jewelry, cell phones, laptop computers, and cash. They escape on motorbikes or on foot.
Armed robberies inside restaurants have occurred frequently in the three host cities. Criminals typically burst in, rob patrons quickly, and flee before police can respond. Upscale restaurants with outdoor seating near sidewalks are especially exposed.
On 28 October, a US citizen was shot and killed in Guadalajara’s Americana neighborhood after resisting a robbery attempt. He was confronted outside a restaurant by two men and a woman demanding his high-end watch. When he refused, he was shot in the chest and head. The assailants fled in a taxi with the stolen item.
Armed robberies are a particular problem for Japanese expatriates and visitors from Asia. Coming as they do from extremely low-threat environments, they are likely to react improperly when placed under duress.
The trend in express kidnapping and carjacking is unmistakably upward. Criminals perpetrating these crimes are young and extremely prone to violence.
Express kidnapping victims are abducted while driving, riding in street taxis, walking to their cars in mall parking lots or using ATMs. Victims normally are compelled to use their credit and debit cards to make ATM withdrawals. In some cases, they are held past midnight to beat daily withdrawal limits. In others, families are contacted with ransom demands.
Victims of express kidnappings, carjackings and mugging who comply with demands normally are not harmed, while those who offer even passive resistance can be grievously injured or killed by assailants, who invariably are armed.
Visitors to Mexico should be trained on how to react to various assault scenarios.
Personnel should keep track of what is in their wallets and purses and move about only with what is needed. Carrying more than one credit card is discouraged. Debit cards and blank checks should not be carried, unless absolutely necessary. It is wise to carry M$400 (about $20) in surrender money and to comply quickly with assailants’ demands.
Sitting in a parked vehicle anywhere in Mexico is an invitation to an armed robbery, carjacking or express kidnapping.
Numerous armed robberies are perpetrated in or around convenience stores or pharmacies. OXXOs and Super 7 supermarkets are among the stores most often targeted and should be avoided to the extent possible. Many are co-located with gasoline stations.
Robberies of ATM customers are a problem throughout Mexico. Only cash machines inside elite hotels and office complexes should be patronized, and even then it is important to make sure no one is watching or lurking nearby.
Due to robbery risks, visitors to Mexico should not patronize banks.
| GETTING AROUND |
Flying is by far the safest means of travel within Mexico, including between the World Cup host cities.
Overland travel presents substantial risks and should be approached with caution.
While Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey will implement special transportation plans to manage match-day traffic, the underlying security and road safety environment remains challenging.
Mexico’s roadways are among the most dangerous in the Western Hemisphere, with local drivers often reckless and accident rates high.
Traffic rules differ significantly from those in the United States, and hazards include poor road conditions, limited street lighting and heavy congestion. On weekends, holidays, and after dark, the risks increase due to widespread intoxicated driving.
Criminal activity on the roads is a serious concern. Armed groups, including cartels, conduct assaults and hijackings at all hours including on toll highways, which foreigners often assume are relatively secure.
App-based ride-hailing services like Uber are widely used in Mexican cities but carry significant risks. Vetting procedures of drivers are inconsistent, and there have been incidents of serious driver misconduct, including assaults on female passengers. Drivers have also been targets of violence by local taxi operators.
This service does not sanction the use of Uber and similar services.
The preferred method of transportation to and from World Cup stadiums, hotels and fan events is corporate transportation.
Personnel lacking corporate transportation ideally should use hotel cabs to get around, arranging for return pickups. Radio-dispatched taxis are the next best option. Taxis should never be hailed on the street. Nor should taxis parked at sitios (fixed stands) be used.
Visitors are strongly discouraged from self-driving in Mexico. Beyond crime risks, Mexican law requires that drivers involved in accidents resulting in any material damages or bodily harm be held until damages are paid.
| ORGANIZED CRIME |
Mexico is home to the Western Hemisphere’s largest, most violent, and most sophisticated criminal organizations. There are at least nine major drug trafficking cartels and 74 smaller groups, with an estimated 175,000 operatives nationwide.
These organizations are heavily armed and deeply entrenched in all sectors of the economy.
Cartel influence is most visible in northern border states—including the area around Monterrey—as well as in the Pacific states of Michoacan, Guerrero, Sinaloa and Jalisco—where Guadalajara is located.
Central inland states like Zacatecas and Guanajuato also see extensive cartel activity.
Cartels and their derivatives also maintain a significant operational presence in Mexico City.
While they tend to operate more discreetly in high-profile urban areas, their capacity for violence and corruption remains ever-present.
Although major criminal organizations have an interest in the success of the World Cup for reasons of financial gain and national pride, risks pertain.
Violence can still erupt due to inter-cartel rivalries, state enforcement actions, or shifting alliances.
Lower-level criminal groups may see opportunities in the influx of foreign visitors, particularly through kidnapping, extortion, or targeting of wealthy individuals.
Personnel should not travel to high-risk areas outside official World Cup venues and should exercise caution even in major cities.
While foreign visitors are not typically targeted by cartels, the risk of being caught in cartel violence, such as shootouts between rival groups or clashes with security forces, remains.
| VIRTUAL KIDNAPPINGS |
Virtual kidnappings are one of the most common crimes perpetrated on travelers and residents in Mexico.
Virtual kidnappings rely on victims being convinced they are under duress when that is not the case.
Most victims are Mexicans or Spanish-speaking foreigners. Both men and women are targeted.
There are telltale signs of Mexican virtual kidnappings.
In most cases, the victim initially receives a call in his or her hotel room — on the hotel phone.
In some cases, however, perpetrators also have the victim’s cell phone number and use it for the initial contact or a follow-on contact.
Front desk attendants and/or other hotel employees often are complicit in the scams. They identify potential victims to the perpetrators and provide room and cell phone numbers. Hotel employees often have access to cell phone numbers as travelers provide them when making reservations, or while checking-in.
Callers in most cases identify themselves as cartel operatives or police. They are neither, of course. They are scammers.
Victims are threatened with mutilation, torture or death if they fail to comply.
Victims are instructed to supply callers with the names and phone numbers of relatives or employers prepared to ransom them. Relatives or employers often are instructed to wire ransoms to bank accounts or make wire transfers to convenience stores.
In most cases, the callers go to great lengths to keep the person on the phone so that he or she cannot contact the presumed victim or receive calls from other family members. In some cases, crying or screaming by someone pretending to be the hostage can be heard in the background.
Many times, they have only superficial information about the victim and his or her family, but what they do have often is enough to terrify recipients into obeying their instructions to deposit money into an account at a bank or a convenience store.
Under no circumstances should personnel provide their cell phone numbers when making hotel reservations. Nor should they include cell phone numbers in profiles they provide to hotel chains. Generic company numbers should be provided instead. Other personal information should be withheld. Personnel who have already provided cell phone numbers to hotel chains for profiles should make certain to change those numbers. If a number cannot be changed on a profile, they should obtain a new cell phone with a different number.
Personnel should not accept calls on their hotel room phones. Nor should they accept calls on cell phones that are not theirs or from unknown numbers.
Managers who learn of virtual kidnappings—usually from victims’ relatives—should contact security professionals immediately. In most cases, they will mobilize police contacts to locate the victim.
Corporate personnel should not be sent to hotels to investigate suspected virtual kidnappings.
| EXTORTIONS |
Extortion is a pervasive threat in Mexico, and criminal groups will undoubtedly seek to capitalize on the World Cup.
Local businesses, logistics providers, and transportation companies involved in the event should expect increased pressure from organized crime.
While criminal gangs and cartels have historically avoided directly targeting foreign citizens and companies to avoid drawing unwanted attention, they are not immune. Their visibility and resources make them attractive targets.
Numerous multinational firms have reported attacks on vehicles transporting their goods, along with extortion demands.
In many cases, extortion gangs masquerade as labor unions, staging protests or blocking operations to demand “protection” payments. Transportation companies, auto parts suppliers, and public-facing retail operations are especially attractive to these groups, though no business sector is exempt.
Criminal gangs frequently use social media activity to identify potential targets. Victims may be contacted by phone, via text message, or in person — sometimes by heavily armed individuals.
In some cases, threats are delivered in hand-written notes, a method intended to avoid surveillance and convey seriousness.
Extortion threats, especially those communicated in person or in hand-delivered notes, should be referred to security professionals, who should determine the seriousness of the threat and bolster the security of both personnel working at the site and the property itself.
Another problem for businesses is disputes with vendors, some of whom have organized crime ties and are prepared to play hardball.
Threats from vendors also should be referred to security professionals.
Given the heightened visibility of the World Cup, companies operating in Mexico — even temporarily — should review existing protocols for handling extortion threats and ensure that all local partners are vetted and monitored.
| PROTESTS |
Protests take place frequently across Mexico and often turn violent.
Demonstrations vary in scale and intent, but they routinely involve roadblocks, clashes with police and the occupation of strategic infrastructure, particularly in Mexico City.
Since January, the capital has witnessed frequent traffic blockades and spontaneous marches.
Protesters have repeatedly shut down key highways such as the Mexico-Pachuca and Texcoco-Lecheria routes, causing prolonged gridlock across parts of the capital.
These disruptions have impacted airport access, government functions, and the movement of emergency vehicles, any of which could seriously affect tournament logistics.
Mexico City’s national Azteca Stadium, which will host the Cup’s opening match and four other games, has become a focal point for protests.
Residents of Santa Ursula, a low-income neighborhood adjacent to the venue, have staged protests around the complex over chronic water shortages that they attribute to the stadium’s expansion and ongoing renovation works for the tournament.
They have organized weekly rallies, blocked nearby roads and defaced advertising murals.
Mexico City residents also took to the streets on 26 July to denounce gentrification and real estate speculation they claim is tied to the World Cup’s economic impacts. The march led to scuffles with riot police close to the stadium.
Demonstrations of any sort should be given wide berth.
Personnel in Mexico City should keep abreast of planned protests and do their best to circumvent them.
Travelers should build time buffers into all planned transfers, particularly when moving between hotels, stadiums, and the airport.
| SECURITY OVERVIEW – US AND CANADA |
While the United States and Canada are generally well-policed, conventional crime remains a persistent concern, particularly in large urban centers.
Petty theft, including pickpocketing, phone snatches, and bag grabs, occurs regularly in entertainment districts, near tourist attractions, and aboard public transportation.
Opportunistic sneak thieves, some of them highly skilled, typically target distracted individuals in crowded environments. During the World Cup, risks are certain to pertain in fan zones, stadium perimeters, transportation hubs and restaurants and bars.
Pickpockets often work in small teams, with one or more members staging a distraction as another swipes the targeted valuable. Perhaps the simplest and most effective distraction is a bump. Other standards include asking for the time or directions, spilling food or drink and staging an argument or fight.
Victims often have no idea anything has been taken from them until minutes or even hours later.
Meanwhile, a handbag, cell phone or other valuable set down carelessly in a restaurant or other venue can disappear in the bat of an eye.
Violent crime, while far less frequent than non-confrontational theft, is not uncommon in US cities.
Armed robberies, assaults, and carjackings occur, particularly after dark and in marginal neighborhoods.
Canada carries less risk but urban centers such as Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal nevertheless experience the petty and violent crimes that pertain the US.
Canadians are concerned about a notable rise in gun crime in recent years, although rates remain well below those in the US.
Toronto, in particular, has seen an increase in organized theft rings operating near transit hubs and shopping districts. It and other Canadian cities also have seen a notable increase in vehicle theft.
Crime risks of all kinds in the US and Canada can be reduced significantly through common sense precautions.
Personnel should remain alert constantly. Wallets, cell phones and eye-catching accoutrements should be kept in front-pants or inner-coat pockets. Neck and belt pouches concealed by clothes are ideal for stowing cash, credit cards and identity documents. Handbags, laptop bags and cameras should be strapped across the body and positioned in front. Briefcases and other handcarried possessions should be clutched firmly at all times. Eye-catching jewelry should not be worn. Leaning against a wall or sitting down when reading a map or talking on a mobile phone on the street or waiting for a train or bus reduces petty theft risks.
After dark, personnel unfamiliar with the urban terrain around them should get around by vehicle.
Credit and debit card security cannot be taken for granted. Many fraud victims fail to realize they have been hit until their monthly statements arrive, or their transactions are refused after spending limits are reached.
The most common way criminals steal credit and debit card data is through the use of illicit skimmers. The culprits frequently are clerks in shops, restaurants, convenience stores and gas stations who run credit cards through legitimate scanners before making second swipes through hidden devices. They then make use of the stolen data themselves or sell it to other parties.
Personnel should play it safe by limiting credit and debit card use to establishments that clearly are reputable.
| DOMESTIC TERRORISM |
The United States continues to face threats from domestic extremists, including white supremacists, far-left radicals, and unstable individuals with access to firearms.
Mass-fatality shootings and vehicle ramming attacks have occurred at schools, places of worship, supermarkets, parades and other public venues. Assailants often act alone and seek to make personal or ideological statements, frequently ending their rampages through suicide or armed confrontation with police.
On 1 January, a Muslim-American drove a truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 14 people and wounding nearly 40 others before engaging police in a shootout.
The FBI later stated the attack was “100 percent inspired by ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria),” though no evidence emerged of a direct operational link to the transnational terrorist network.
On 9 January, ISIS praised the attack in its digital newsletter, describing the perpetrator’s actions as “influenced by the discourse and messaging of the Islamic State.”
| PROTESTS |
The threat of protest-related disruption will remain a persistent concern.
Clashes between opposing groups or between protesters and law enforcement can erupt with little or no warning.
Publicity-seeking activists are likely to use the World Cup’s global visibility to stage demonstrations on a wide range of political and social issues.
Demonstrations of any kind should be given wide berth.
The ongoing Gaza war has heightened tensions in the United States and Canada, raising risks of both anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim terrorism.
Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrations are frequent, and confrontations between rival protesters occur regularly in major North American cities.
Western countries, including the US and Canada, have seen a marked increase in anti-Semitic vandalism, threats, and physical attacks. Attacks on Muslims and Muslim-linked sites have also occurred, though less frequently.
An Egyptian national injured eight participants in a pro-Israel demonstration on 4 June in Boulder, Colorado.
The assailant yelled “Free Palestine!” and other slogans as he threw a homemade incendiary device at the demonstrators on a crowded pedestrian mall at 1326.
The victims were engaged in an event called Run for Their Lives held weekly across the world to mark the continued captivity of Israelis kidnapped by the Palestinian Islamic terrorist group Hamas during its murderous incursion into Israel on 7 October 2023.
The attack came in the wake of the shooting murder of two Israeli diplomats by a pro-Palestinian activist in downtown Washington on 21 May.
The couple was gunned down while walking on a street near the Capital Jewish Museum, where the American Jewish Committee had just hosted a reception for young diplomats.
In Canada, authorities on 4 September arrested a 20-year-old Pakistani man on a US warrant for allegedly plotting a mass shooting at a Jewish center in Brooklyn.
The suspect, living in Quebec on a student visa, had traveled near the US border in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
According to investigators, he intended to carry out a coordinated assault using AR-15-style rifles in support of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Demonstrations of any kind related to the Gaza war should be given wide berth. Exposure to Israel-linked institutions and events should be minimized. Those who must be present at such institutions and events should be cognizant of risks. Jewish and Islamic neighborhoods, houses of worship and schools should be avoided to the extent practical.
| FAN BEHAVIOR |
In all three host countries, fan behavior could pose additional security challenges.
Alcohol-fueled fights and public disorder are common around major sporting events, and local law enforcement agencies will prioritize crowd control and de-escalation strategies around stadiums and entertainment zones.
Large informal gatherings, including street screenings, parades and watch parties, will be particularly difficult to secure.
In the US, large-scale sporting events have recently exposed serious lapses in crowd security.
During the July 2024 Copa America final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, thousands of ticketless fans forced their way into the venue by climbing fences and ventilation systems, leading to overcrowding, fights and chaotic scenes, including fans falling over one another.
The situation resulted in 27 arrests and 55 ejections.
In a more serious incident, gunfire erupted at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory rally on 14 February 2024, at Union Station in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, where at least 24 people were shot and one was killed in a dispute between rival groups.
In Mexico, the risk of fan-related violence is similarly heightened.
In March 2022, a riot broke out between fans attending a national league soccer match in Queretaro City, capital of the central Queretaro state.
Violent clashes involving chairs, metal bars, belts, and knives left at least 26 people injured, including three critically wounded, and prompted the Mexican league to suspend matches the next day.
