Islamic State (IS) sought to take advantage of the World Cup for attacks, but no plots have been reported. Previously degraded media and external operations networks and the diversity of IS activity inside the U.S. seemingly inhibited operations, due to the variety of targets and tactics, plus the wider net of counterterrorism precautions. Risks persist in the short and long-term.
The month-long World Cup tournament provided a significant opportunity for IS supporters to conduct attacks in the United States (U.S.), either of the other two host countries, or at World Cup-related events taking place around the globe. Unlike previous major sporting and cultural events, there are as of yet no known plots against the 2026 World Cup. This absence can at least partially be attributed to the degradation of transnational IS networks and operatives in recent years.
While the 2026 World Cup is somewhat an outlier amongst recent IS supporters’ targets in the U.S., it generally falls within longtime IS targeting trends. Pro-IS plots inside the U.S. have focused on both religious sites and cultural events, as well as on military recruitment centers and bases. Over the past few years, IS supporters have planned attacks against both Jewish and Christian sites, and even individual Jewish leaders. There is at least one recent case of IS supporters targeting a Shia mosque in the U.S.
Holiday celebrations, or just the day generally, have been targeted—such as Halloween, Christmas, and New Year’s—more than sporting events. Pride and Election Day have also been targeted.
In early 2025, IS-Khorasan Province’s (ISKP) Al-Azaim Media Foundation even published a would-be hitlist of cultural events in the U.S. and Europe—there was no reported follow-through against any of these events.
 | A guest post by
|