Security experts and federal law enforcement officials are warning that the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted across 11 US cities alongside Canada and Mexico, faces elevated terrorism risks amplified by ongoing US-Israel-Iran tensions and gaps in inter-agency coordination. The greatest concern centres on homegrown lone-actor extremists and so-called "soft targets" — fan festivals, hotels, and watch parties beyond the hardened stadium perimeters — with one federal law enforcement source warning that "there is a very real possibility that something bad will happen." Of the 78 matches scheduled on US soil, only the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will receive the highest federal security designation, while the US government has allocated $625 million overall for World Cup security and preparedness.