Why the FIFA World Cup is Relevant

For years, the FIFA World Cup has been a preeminent sporting event of the world, showcasing directly highlighting a multitude of countries over the course of the multiweek soccer tournament. Every four years, a new country or region hosts the tournament, and with this undertaking comes a unique set of infrastructure preparations that not only maintain the matchday operations, but also comfortably accommodate the influx of international travelers.

This summer, Canada, Mexico, and the United States hosted the FIFA World Cup across 16 cities in North America. With the expansion to 48 teams this year from the previous 32-teams, the tournament attracted significant international attention. In fact, reports showed that more than 4.6 million attendees watched 72 group-stage games, including both North American residents and international travelers. Before the tournament even started, experts predicted that more than one millioninternational visitors would travel to the United States for this quadrennial event. To account for this influx, U.S. agencies updated various infrastructure and transportation systems to ensure safety, national security, and transportation efficiency.

These accommodation efforts required considerable coordination. Officials implemented changes across 26 public transit agencies in the 11 U.S. host cities. Examples of these changes include expanded rail, bus, and shuttle services, infrastructure improvements, and new safety, security, and emergency coordination measures, according to the American Public Transportation Association. In fact, earlier this year Congress passed the 2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which allocated approximately $100 million in total funding through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to reimburse public transportation agencies hosting matches. 

The Advantages of Technological Investment for Transportation Systems

Adapting transportation and infrastructure to better suit the needs of cities and major events is essential. ITS technologies are one of the best ways to do this, addressing issues such as traffic management, pedestrian safety, congestion, work zone safety, emergency response, and predictive analytics during large events. Tools like digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, vehicle connectivity, and more can help address safety challenges while improving efficiency, fiscal responsibility, and economic growth.

Digital infrastructure allows for data sharing capabilities that impact planning, safety countermeasures, and system statuses. AI is a technology that allows for traffic management and presents insights into safety, security, and efficiency issues when deployed responsibly. V2X and connected infrastructure also allow system coordination for transportation entities, again increasing overall efficiency and effectiveness.

Safety is extremely important when assessing infrastructure capabilities for larger events. With an increased number of travelers, risk of injury may subsequently increase, so employing technological solutions with better coordination across systems can reduce these risks. Efficiency is another reason for ITS deployment. ITS systems allow for advantages like real-time traffic monitoring and predictive analytics that help reduce congestion, travel times, and emergency response delays.

Increased expansion and investment in ITS technology also strengthens fiscal responsibilities. This technological infrastructure can proactively increase awareness of potential issues and extend the lifespan of existing physical infrastructure.

ITS systems also provide the opportunity for technological advancement and further U.S. leadership in transportation innovation. This occurs as more systems are both developed to handle large-scale events and implemented across the country as long-term investments. 

Overall, these ITS improvements can be deployed across the country to improve infrastructure and better accommodate large scale events like the World Cup in 2026 and even the upcoming Summer Olympics in 2028. Managing increased numbers of travelers moving across transportation systems is an ever-present issue, and ITS technologies are providing the capabilities to properly address this issue as well. Due to their effectiveness, these transportation innovations are not only temporary fixes but also can be seen as long term investments into U.S. infrastructure for years to come.

What the Host Cities and States Have Deployed

To implement the necessary infrastructure and technology updates, the U.S. host cities (Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Kansas City, MO; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; New York/New Jersey; Philadelphia, PA; San Francisco, CA; and Seattle, WA) adopted a variety of infrastructure changes. Here is a closer look at four of these cities:

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta hosted eight games, including a semifinal, making it a major hotspot for World Cup activities this summer. The Georgia Department of Transportation implemented a wide array of measures to accommodate increased activity around Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The implementation of the Flow Platform represented one of the major improvements. The platform includes real-time signal performance monitoring, major-event baselining, real-time alerting, and insights. According to Flow Labs, the platform helps maintain reliable travel throughout the area, supports match-day operations with real-time data, identifies and resolves signal issues before they affect local operations, builds a long-term performance record that highlights the benefits of signal operations, and enables traffic engineers and Atlanta partners to conduct data-driven daily debriefs. In fact, Flow Labs tracked traffic patterns using connected-vehicle probe data in the North Grid signal network area during the stadium’s first three games. The company found that, compared to a normal weekday, the area experienced a 3.4x control delay, a 55% increase in traffic volume, a peak delay per vehicle at egress of 161 seconds (2:30 p.m.), and a network health score of 3.5/100 during the monitoring window.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) also had significant influence on the deployment of ITS capabilities for the World Cup. Necessary camera and software installations, the microtransit program known as MARTA Reach, and paratransit upgrades were all implemented and utilized.

Additionally, Atlanta worked with CYVL, an infrastructure intelligence technology company, to employ AI data mapping and better understand where infrastructure improvements were needed throughout the city. Finally, Atlanta established anIntegrated Command Center (ICC) at City Hall in coordination with the police headquarters and the GDOT Traffic Management Center.

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles hosted eight games and served as a centerpiece of this World Cup. Officials used SoFi Stadium for these matches, but they had to make several travel adjustments to ensure accessibility.

Los Angeles underwent transitreforms as part of its World Cup preparations and its planning efforts for the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics. According to AP News, many people have not typically utilized Los Angeles Metro and public transit because of safety and efficiency concerns, but city leaders have made efforts to overhaul transportation safety and effectiveness in preparation for these international events.

Metro added 15 shuttle lines and deployed approximately 200 buses to connect games with rail stations and transit centers, since no direct transit service existed to SoFi Stadium. As a snapshot, the influx of fans and reliance on public transportation led spectators to take nearly 50,000 rail rides and 30,000 shuttle rides for a July 2^nd game.

New York/New Jersey

New York/New Jersey hosted eight matches, including the tournament final, making it the send-off city for the 2026 World Cup. To better accommodate the event, officials deployed updated ITS technologies around MetLife Stadium.

According to New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), the preparation process began around three years ago, with many of the implementations expected to remain relevant and utilized in the coming years. Many of the improvements came in the form of traffic engineering and roadway improvements, as well as cameras monitoring transportation networks around the stadium to provide real-time traffic data. These afforded abilities for newfound oversight allowed traffic queues, accidents, and any other inefficiencies to be noticed, addressed, and resolved quicker.

Specifically,NJDOT leveraged a statewide Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) built on Parsons Corporation’s Intelligent NETworks (iNET®) platform to benefit both fans and residents. This system incorporated technologies such as lidar sensors, camera-based video analytics, and roadside units.

Additionally, there was also key condition monitoring and real-time data from roadway cameras fed into the ATMS processed by Derq’s AI-powered analytics platform, according to their website.

NJDOT, Ouster, and Signal Control Products worked together to deploy Ouster’s BlueCity platform, with over 40 devices across numerous highways surrounding the stadium. According to Ouster’s website, their collaboration produced diverse data streams with 3D lidar and IoT technologies that established a connected corridor that provides NJDOT operators with a comprehensive, real-time view of traffic conditions while simultaneously streamlining and improving safety operations.

Seattle, Washington

Seattle hosted six games, including two U.S. national team matches. As a result, Seattle’s Lumen Field played a major role in the tournament.

Seattle’s Sound Transit increased operations and train availability, while King County Metro continuedtransporting individuals efficiently throughout the city. The First Hill line of the Seattle Streetcar also increased operations for the games. In addition, Seattle Department of Transportation’s Operations Center made real-timetraffic signal adjustmentsthathelped streamline travel for World Cup visitors.

The city also instituted a construction pause from June 8^th through July 6^th in public spaces, allowing greater mobility and accessibility while the region hosted World Cup matches.

Seattle also utilized different types of safety and operations exercise preparations before the games. There was one large full-scale exercise inside the stadium that tested communication, safety procedures, transit teams, and emergency responses according to realistic game day scenarios. Additionally in the months preceding kickoff, there were discussions and cybersecurity application exercises that tested procedures and how to effectively move large groups at the event safely.

Related National Security Concerns at the World Cup

A sporting event that attracts as much attention as the FIFA World Cup requires significant security and preparedness measures to ensure the safety of teams and fans. Security concerns extended into the transportation and infrastructure systems surrounding each match. The Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service were among the entities responsible for regulating and monitoring the tournament.

Officials strongly encouraged public transportation and made it more readily available than personal vehicles. In fact, according to USA TODAY, organizers often minimized parking around the American football stadiums hosting soccer matches to accommodate enhanced security perimeters, as well as fan entertainment zones, sponsorship hospitality areas and broadcast centers.

In terms of threats, security agencies consistently monitored the potential for issues such as unauthorized drones, infrastructure cybersecurity breaches, and rail disruptions similar to those that occurred during the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

Transit stations and transportation networks often attract malicious actors because these systems may contain IT vulnerabilities and they represent large targets for disruption.

In recent decades, security concerns have occurred at international events like the World Cup and the Olympics, such as the 1996 bombing at Centennial Park at the Atlanta Summer Olympics, and even just this past Winter with the targeting of infrastructure in Milan for the Winter Olympics. This recent threat to the Winter Olympics proves just how critical the digital maintenance of secure transportation systems is for preventing attacks. In February, the Rome-Florence high-speed rail line was disrupted by bad actors that delayed rail use during the Olympics and committed hundreds of thousands of dollars in infrastructure damage, according to Reuters.

Despite their rarity, these attacks highlight ongoing real world and cybersecurity threats to international security. However, if ITS technologies continue to be deployed in cities with the necessary cybersecurity measures, there will be greater transportation benefits to communities. Taking proactive, preventative measures against threats will help transportation agencies succeed during large events.

Long Term Implications

Despite only having a total playing period of 39 days during the first half of the summer, the infrastructure and transportation improvements in the U.S. for the 2026 FIFA World Cup were essential and largely successful. The implementation of various traffic monitoring and oversight technologies, transit accessibility modifications, traffic streamlining efforts, and data-based analyses made significant impacts on the safety and efficiency of the cities hosting matches. Since the last time the World Cup was played in the United States in 1994, the advancements in transportation technology have proved invaluable for meeting the moment, especially since the scale has increased dramatically just 32 years later.

It is important to note, however, that for many host states and cities, the ITS deployments and transportation upgrades do not intend to go away now that the tournament is over. Transportation agencies introduced many of these ITS systems to make the surrounding areas not only more efficient at accommodating additional events but also to improve travel for local full-time residents. ITS tools give transit and highway agencies the ability to monitor their systems, gather and analyze more data, and allow states and cities across the country to continue improving the safety of their communities.

ITS solutions are not just idealistic tools meant to adjust to increasingly digital systems, but they are proven and practical solutions that allow for the increased development of American transportation infrastructure to ensure safety and efficiency not just for internationally significant events like the World Cup, but for years to come when events are finished.