England’s World Cup training camp will be subject to unprecedented security measures in the US amid growing fears of drone spying operations or sabotage attempts aimed at players and fans.

The US authorities and the FA have decided to turn the squad’s camp in Kansas City into something resembling a fortified base, the Sun reported.

The daily newspaper revealed that specialised “hunter-catcher” aircraft, which are anti-drone aircraft capable of shooting down any unlicensed aircraft through special nets, in addition to electronic jamming devices and advanced monitoring systems, will be deployed.

England players protected by systems able to disable drones

It’s alleged that police will establish ‘no-fly zones’ over the England team’s headquarters at the Swap Soccer Village base. They will also provide security units with systems capable of disabling drone control signals or forcing them to land in specific locations, in anticipation of any attempts to breach the airspace during training or matches.

Security experts believe that drones have become one of the most prominent threats associated with major sporting events, given their low cost and the difficulty of detecting them compared to traditional threat methods.

The Sun quoted former FBI drone countermeasures expert, Tom Adams, as saying that the biggest challenge is not just detecting drones but quickly determining their intentions, whether for sabotage, political, or even sports espionage purposes.

Adams stressed that the security system adopted to protect the England team will be similar to the technologies used during the American Super Bowl.

British concern over potential espionage

This month, the Guardian revealed that German coach, Thomas Tuchel, had expressed concerns about the possibility of “football espionage”.

The newspaper also confirmed that the FA is working to enhance the privacy of England’s World Cup training camp to prevent rival teams, the media, or any external parties from monitoring training sessions or picking up tactical information that could give England’s opponents an advantage.

Warnings about security concerns during the 2026 World Cup highlighted the potential targeting of transportation networks, disrupting infrastructure, or using drones near fan zones and stadiums.

$14 million to enhance World Cup security systems

As part of the extensive preparations for the 2026 World Cup, US authorities have allocated huge security funding to Kansas City to develop anti-drone systems and secure the airspace during the tournament.

Missouri has received more than $14 million to enhance protection systems related to the World Cup.

These moves reflect the seriousness of the security threat surrounding the upcoming football tournament, which will be held for the first time in three countries: the US, Canada and Mexico.

Organisers expect record crowd attendance and the largest security monitoring in the tournament’s history.

Featured image via Rob Carr/ Getty Images

By Alaa Shamali

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