PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. - As the FIFA World Cup 2026 approaches its highly anticipated final match, U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) continue to execute defense and security support missions to ensure safety and security across North America.

Since the tournament kicked off on June 11, Canada, the United States and Mexico have welcomed millions of international spectators and visitors.

Throughout the historic event, homeland defense support and robust interagency coordination have played a central role in keeping matches safe and secure. Working in close coordination, USNORTHCOM and NORAD continue to execute distinct mandates to support civil and federal partners across the United States, and in NORAD's binational case, in both the U.S. and Canada.

USNORTHCOM coordinated and synchronized federal requests for Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) support to partner federal agencies to help secure airspace over stadiums and public areas, along with military canine teams deployed to conduct security sweeps during semifinal matches. USNORTHCOM also activated defense coordination officers (DCOs) within U.S. host cities to serve as single points of contact, integrating Department of War resources with local, state, and federal incident response teams, along with liaison officers inside the U.S. government's World Cup command center inside the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Headquarters.

Simultaneously, NORAD continues to execute its binational aerospace warning and aerospace control missions. Stateside, the command collaborates with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the United States Secret Service. As World Cup events draw to an exciting close, NORAD will enforce multiple FAA Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) areas over the New York and New Jersey metropolitan areas beginning this Friday through Sunday.

In Canada, supporting the now-concluded games in Vancouver and Toronto, NORAD integrated its aerospace defense mission with Public Safety Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and the Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces. Leading up to those matches, the Canadian NORAD Region (CANR) and the Royal Canadian Air Force conducted specialized intercept training with Canadian air traffic controllers and airport authorities to manage heavy air traffic in Southern Ontario and coastal British Columbia. On match days, NORAD maintained a continuous defensive presence for the Canadian venues, supporting NAV CANADA's temporary low-level flight restrictions within the Vancouver Harbour and Toronto Billy Bishop Control Zones.

"USNORTHCOM's mission to provide defense support of civil authorities remains a critical responsibility, and we have been supporting lead federal agencies during World Cup 2026," said General Gregory M. Guillot, Commander of NORAD and USNORTHCOM. "NORAD's mission to defend the skies of the United States and Canada never stops. We stand watch twenty-

four hours a day, every day of the year, which allows us to seamlessly secure major international events like the World Cup so fans can focus on the sport. Our support demonstrates the quiet, behind-the-scenes work our commands do every day to keep the skies secure."

The bilateral and multilateral ties among the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican militaries are central to the preparation and execution of this defense mission, involving cooperation among dozens of military, intelligence, and law enforcement partners from all three host nations. "This summer, the strong military relationships among the U.S., Canada, and Mexico have been on full display as our forces worked together with local, state, and federal partners to ensure a safe World Cup," said Guillot.

Preparation for the tournament began months in advance. Ahead of the U.S.-based matches, USNORTHCOM hosted the 11 Cities Summit in January at the Hotel Polaris in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The two-day event brought together more than 200 security experts, emergency managers, host city representatives, and federal partners from DHS, the FBI, FEMA, and the White House Task Force, establishing a shared understanding of host city plans, reviewing federal capabilities, and coordinating emergency response protocols.

Concurrently, NORAD executed months of binational planning with U.S. and Canadian aviation and law enforcement partners, establishing unified protocols to defend the airspace surrounding all 91 matches across both nations' host cities - 78 matches in 11 U.S. cities and 13 matches in Canada's two host cities.

Through the coordination of USNORTHCOM, NORAD, federal agencies, and international partners, both commands remain focused on their shared core mission - defending the homelands.

We have the Watch.