Efforts in countering threats discussed
In preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America convened the first High-Level Trilateral Coordination Meeting, said the US State Department press release.
The 23rd edition of FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament is going to be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19, 2026 with 104 games across 16 cities of North American nations- US, Mexico and Canada.
US will host the tournaments in Los Angeles, SF Bay Area, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Boston, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia and Kansas City.
Mexico will host in Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey while Canada will host 13 matches, in Toronto and Vancouver.
For the first time in FIFA history this tournament features 48 teams expanding from 43 teams. Many matches will be held in various cities of the USA but neighboring Canada and Mexico will each host 10 matches. There will be
The inaugural tournament of the FIFA World Cup 26™ on Thursday, 11 June 2026 will be held in Mexico’s Estadio Azteca Mexico City.
Earlier, Mexico had hosted the World Cup finals and opening games of 1970 and 1986.
The final match will be played at MetLife Stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, near New York City, on July 19, 2026.
According to the joint statement released by the Governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Dr. Juan Ramón de la Fuente; the Government of Mexico’s Representative for the FIFA World Cup, Ms. Gabriela Cuevas; the Executive Director of the White House Taskforce for the FIFA World Cup, Mr. Andrew Giuliani; Mr. Paul Watzlavick, Senior Official of the Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation at the U.S. Department of State; Mr. Michael Jensen, Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. National Security Council; His Excellency Cameron MacKay, Ambassador of Canada to Mexico; Mr. Roberto Velasco, Head of the Mexican Foreign Ministry’s North America Unit; and Mr. Alfonso Zegbe, Head of the Mexican Foreign Ministry’s Interagency Coordination and Public Diplomacy Unit participated the meeting.
Working jointly, the three countries reaffirmed that the 2026 World Cup is a historic event that will unite our nations and showcase the best of North America to the world, while being an opportunity to strengthen our solid and vastly dynamic regional partnership, it said.
Within this framework, we convened a U.S.-facilitated three-day Subject Matter Expert Exchange to foster collaboration among government officials, industry leaders, and security professionals to discuss joint efforts in countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) threats to the World Cup.
Through these last three days, experts from the partner nations shared relevant best practices, fostering a productive exchange that advanced our collective efforts to ensure a secure World Cup, it reads.
As part of this trilateral effort, we are committed to strengthening public-private coordination and addressing policy and technology gaps that may impact our ability to respond effectively to our joint challenges.
An Industry Roundtable featured participation from leading companies from Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America. This session provided a valuable platform for dialogue and innovation, enabling us to identify lessons learned, explore cutting-edge solutions, and enhance our preparedness to confront evolving threats, stated in a joint statement.
The collaboration over these three days is the first of a series of events that reflect our shared commitment to regional security and developing strategies to use and mitigate threats posed by emerging technologies.
Trilateral coordination initiatives like this are part of the broader effort to ensure a safe and successful 2026 World Cup.
By working hand-in-hand through close coordination, information sharing, and joint planning, Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America are committed to ensuring that the 2026 FIFA World Cup is not only a celebration of sport but also a testament to the strength of our partnership and shared values, the release added.
