More than $1 billion is being allocated for security at the 2026 tournament, raising concerns about the future use of surveillance infrastructure once the event concludes. During the 2024 NFL AFC championship game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs, play was halted due to a drone entering restricted airspace, leading to the operator pleading guilty to violating national defense airspace. A similar incident occurred thirteen months later during a wild-card playoff game between the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. NFL security chief Cathy Lanier reported a dramatic increase in unauthorized drone incursions over NFL stadiums, from 67 in 2018 to 2,845 in 2023. For much of this period, the league lacked effective legal measures to prevent such incidents.
QUESTION: How might the increase in drone incursions over stadiums impact the future of sports event security and privacy?
The World Cup security buildout won’t end when the games do
