Missouri, federal and local law enforcement agencies are coordinating security plans for the FIFA World Cup matches scheduled for Kansas City this summer.
Gov. Mike Kehoe hosted a security roundtable Monday in Jefferson City with FBI Co‑Deputy Director Andrew Bailey, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves, and representatives from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri National Guard, Missouri Department of Public Safety and KC2026 organizers. The meeting focused on security planning, staffing, intelligence sharing and emergency response for the international event.
Kansas City is set to host six World Cup matches at Arrowhead Stadium between June 16 and July 11, along with Fan Fest events expected to draw large crowds to the region.
Kehoe said the Missouri State Highway Patrol will provide additional resources as part of the security effort, including specialized teams and rapid‑response units.
“SWAT teams, bomb squad, motorcycle units, K‑9, and the patrol’s strategic traffic operations and rapid mobilization are their storm teams,” Kehoe said. “The Missouri National Guard has activated for assistance. The mission will utilize approximately 110 service members.”
Kehoe also signed an executive order Monday directing Missouri’s State Emergency Operations Plan to go into effect ahead of World Cup events.
“This allows for our state of emergency to be cleared, which will enable the State Emergency Operations Center to be activated during Fan Fest and match days,” Kehoe said. “An EMAC enables a state‑to‑state resource sharing management to augment local capacity as needed.”
The Emergency Management Assistance Compact, known as EMAC, allows Missouri to request personnel and resources from other states if additional support is needed during large‑scale events.
Bailey said there are no known threats to the World Cup at this time but emphasized the importance of continued coordination as the threat environment evolves.
“But we remain vigilant,” said Bailey. “As we know, the threat landscape is ever evolving.”
Bailey said the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office is already deeply involved in World Cup security planning.
“The FBI’s Kansas City Field Office is already fully engaged, embedding personnel directly into World Cup security, planning and operating across the region,” Bailey said. “We’re driving real‑time intelligence sharing across federal, state, local and private‑sector partners.”
Missouri has received more than $14 million in federal security funding through FEMA grant programs to support World Cup operations, with additional federal funding awarded to the Kansas City region for event security and emergency preparations.
State leaders said multi‑agency planning will continue in the months leading up to the tournament as Kansas City prepares to host visitors from around the world.
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