One Year to Kick-Off: NETSCOUT Highlights Cybersecurity Risks Facing the 2026 Football World Championships

Cairo, July 8, 2025:

With just one year remaining until the start of the 23rd Football World Championships, cybersecurity firm NETSCOUT has issued a stark warning about the complex digital risks surrounding the tournament. Slated to be the largest in history, the event will see over 100 matches hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico in just 39 days—offering an unprecedented scope for threat actors to exploit.

Darren Anstee, Chief Technology Officer for Security at NETSCOUT, noted that major international events have long been prime targets for cybercriminals. “From the 2012 London Olympics to EURO 2024 in Germany, cyberattacks have become an expected threat,” he said. “With the 2026 tournament’s broad geographical footprint, we’re looking at a significantly larger attack surface than ever before.”

Among the key risks, Anstee pointed to distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, which have the potential to cripple both digital and physical aspects of the event. By targeting critical infrastructure such as live broadcasts, public safety systems, and venue connectivity, DDoS attacks could cause widespread disruption for organizers, spectators, and businesses.

Anstee also warned that threat actors are likely to begin reconnaissance operations months in advance. “Attackers will be probing networks, testing defences, and identifying vulnerabilities—especially among organizers, sponsors, and internet service providers,” he said. “We’ve seen this pattern before: waves of attacks leading up to the event as criminals prepare for more damaging campaigns.”

To counter these risks, NETSCOUT urges tournament stakeholders to regularly test and update their security systems, conduct in-depth analysis of past incidents, and engage in proactive threat-sharing collaborations. “Protecting critical infrastructure requires constant vigilance, especially with an event of this magnitude,” Anstee emphasized.

NETSCOUT also reaffirmed the importance of industry-wide collaboration and the sharing of threat intelligence to strengthen collective resilience.

“With the Football World Championships set to kick off on June 11, 2026, the clock is ticking. Organizers and critical infrastructure providers must act now to ensure they are ready—not only to welcome the world, but to defend against those who seek to disrupt it”.

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