Overview
- President Donald Trump attended the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday and was expected to present the trophy to the winning team.
- The match carried a Level 1 special-event designation that placed the Secret Service in charge of layered TSA-style screening and a temporary no-fly zone enforced by NORAD F-16s that intercepted a civilian aircraft.
- Fans, members of the media and some credentialed staff faced hours-long queues after FIFA ticket-scanning and accreditation systems produced errors and staff directed people to the wrong gates.
- VIPs and many officials entered the stadium with minimal delay, a contrast that intensified criticism of stewarding, scanner availability and on-the-ground coordination.
- Organizers and federal agencies had planned an elevated operation for roughly two years and the FBI seized hundreds of drones during the tournament, but the match-day breakdowns raise questions about how FIFA, stadium operators and federal partners coordinated access and technology.