The Spanish newspaper AS revealed the behind-the-scenes details of the main operations center for the 2026 World Cup in the American city of Miami, which manages all the details of the tournament.
The newspaper stated that the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) manages the 2026 World Cup through an advanced operations center in Miami to monitor all details of the tournament, which is being held for the first time with the participation of 48 teams.
A daily cyber attack targeting the World Cup
The newspaper quoted Nacho Fresco, FIFA's Director of Technology, as saying that the operations center deals with approximately 500 million cyber attacks daily, amid the growing cyber threats facing the tournament.
Fresco explained that this figure exceeds what was seen during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, during which FIFA's systems were subjected to approximately 1.1 billion cyber attacks throughout the tournament period.
AS added that the operations center monitors all organizational aspects of the tournament moment by moment, starting from the movements of teams and buses, through crowd management inside the stadiums, and even flights, tickets, and logistics, in coordination with security authorities in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the 2026 World Cup
The newspaper pointed out that artificial intelligence is a fundamental element in operating the center, as massive amounts of data are analyzed in real time, allowing for rapid response to any emergency that may affect the course of the tournament.
It also clarified that there are more than 25,000 devices, including computers and tablets, that were prepared in advance and distributed to the stadiums and various work centers, following a preparation plan that lasted about two years.
The newspaper concluded by noting that the 2026 World Cup is the most complex in the history of the competition, as it is held in 16 cities spread across 3 countries, with approximately 5,000 employees and 65,000 volunteers participating in its organization, while the operations center in Miami coordinates this entire system around the clock.
