With just over 100 days until kickoff, U.S. host cities for the 2026 World Cup went to Capitol Hill with a warning — not a progress report.
Before the House Homeland Security Committee, local officials described frozen FEMA funds, coordination gaps, and mounting pressure as security preparations enter their most critical phase. Their message was direct: time is short, money is stalled, and the risks are real.
Congress should be concerned.
This is not a routine sporting event. The tournament organized by FIFA will be the largest World Cup in history. Expanded teams. Expanded venues. Expanded global attention. Multiple U.S. cities will temporarily become international epicenters, drawing massive crowds and worldwide visibility.
That scale carries consequence.
World Cup matches are high-profile global gatherings requiring layered security planning — counterterrorism coordination, cybersecurity defenses, transportation safeguards, emergency medical integration, intelligence sharing, and seamless federal-local command structure. These systems are built deliberately, tested repeatedly, and funded predictably.
Predictability is exactly what host cities say they don’t currently have.
FEMA dollars that were earmarked for security preparation remain frozen. That may sound procedural, but operationally it’s disruptive. Cities cannot responsibly finalize staffing, procure specialized equipment, run full-scale exercises, or lock in contracts without clarity on reimbursement.
Local governments are now left to either front millions in costs and hope federal dollars arrive — or slow aspects of preparation and accept heightened vulnerability.
Neither option inspires confidence.
Funding is only part of the problem. Officials also pointed to coordination friction between federal agencies and local planners. At this stage — with just over three months remaining — alignment should be seamless. Any bureaucratic lag becomes a strategic liability.
Major international events are symbolic targets. That is not speculation; it is a sober assessment shared by security professionals across administrations. The larger the stage, the greater the exposure — operationally, diplomatically, and politically.
If something were to go wrong, the record will show that host cities raised concerns in advance.
The question would then shift to Congress: What did you do when you were warned?
There is also a broader structural issue lurking beneath the surface. FIFA generates billions in global revenue from its tournaments. Host cities assume logistical strain. Federal agencies carry national security responsibility. American taxpayers underwrite much of the protective apparatus.
When funding freezes threaten readiness, lawmakers should be asking whether the financial architecture matches the security burden.
With just over 100 days remaining, this is not about theoretical preparedness. It is about execution.
Congress does not need to panic. But it does need to act.
Because when the people tasked with securing the event say the system is not moving fast enough, that is not background noise.
That is the alarm.
Michael J. Epstein, a Harvard Law School graduate, is a trial lawyer and managing partner of The Epstein Law Firm, P.A., a law firm based in New Jersey.
The post With 100 Days Until FIFA World Cup 26, Congress Should Be Concerned appeared first on Above the Law.
With just over 100 days until kickoff, U.S. host cities for the 2026 World Cup went to Capitol Hill with a warning — not a progress report.
Before the House Homeland Security Committee, local officials described frozen FEMA funds, coordination gaps, and mounting pressure as security preparations enter their most critical phase. Their message was direct: time is short, money is stalled, and the risks are real.
Congress should be concerned.
This is not a routine sporting event. The tournament organized by FIFA will be the largest World Cup in history. Expanded teams. Expanded venues. Expanded global attention. Multiple U.S. cities will temporarily become international epicenters, drawing massive crowds and worldwide visibility.
That scale carries consequence.
World Cup matches are high-profile global gatherings requiring layered security planning — counterterrorism coordination, cybersecurity defenses, transportation safeguards, emergency medical integration, intelligence sharing, and seamless federal-local command structure. These systems are built deliberately, tested repeatedly, and funded predictably.
Predictability is exactly what host cities say they don’t currently have.
FEMA dollars that were earmarked for security preparation remain frozen. That may sound procedural, but operationally it’s disruptive. Cities cannot responsibly finalize staffing, procure specialized equipment, run full-scale exercises, or lock in contracts without clarity on reimbursement.
Local governments are now left to either front millions in costs and hope federal dollars arrive — or slow aspects of preparation and accept heightened vulnerability.
Neither option inspires confidence.
Funding is only part of the problem. Officials also pointed to coordination friction between federal agencies and local planners. At this stage — with just over three months remaining — alignment should be seamless. Any bureaucratic lag becomes a strategic liability.
Major international events are symbolic targets. That is not speculation; it is a sober assessment shared by security professionals across administrations. The larger the stage, the greater the exposure — operationally, diplomatically, and politically.
If something were to go wrong, the record will show that host cities raised concerns in advance.
The question would then shift to Congress: What did you do when you were warned?
There is also a broader structural issue lurking beneath the surface. FIFA generates billions in global revenue from its tournaments. Host cities assume logistical strain. Federal agencies carry national security responsibility. American taxpayers underwrite much of the protective apparatus.
When funding freezes threaten readiness, lawmakers should be asking whether the financial architecture matches the security burden.
With just over 100 days remaining, this is not about theoretical preparedness. It is about execution.
Congress does not need to panic. But it does need to act.
Because when the people tasked with securing the event say the system is not moving fast enough, that is not background noise.
That is the alarm.
Michael J. Epstein, a Harvard Law School graduate, is a trial lawyer and managing partner of The Epstein Law Firm, P.A., a law firm based in New Jersey.
