New York stabbing, Kansas City shooting heighten World Cup security concerns

Tuesday June 9, 2026

Violence hit two World Cup host cities just days before kickoff, leaving six people stabbed in New York and nine others injured in Kansas City and sharpening questions about security for the tournament’s opening weekend.

Blood and used medical items remain at the scene of a stabbing in Penn Station on June 7, 2026 in New York City [Adam Gray/Getty Images/AFP]

The separate attacks, both in the United States, have added to growing unease as fans prepare to descend on venues across the country for the World Cup, which begins in three days.

In New York, six people were wounded in a stabbing on Sunday at Penn Station, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, as the city readied itself to host two marquee sporting events: the NBA Finals and the FIFA World Cup.

Meanwhile, nine people sustained non-life-threatening injuries in a shooting near England’s World Cup base camp in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday.

The New York City Fire Department said a suspect was detained and that the victims, including one person with serious injuries, were taken to hospital.

Officials initially said five people had been wounded, but Mamdani later wrote on X that “based on the information available right now, six people were stabbed and the alleged perpetrator is in custody.”

The circumstances surrounding the attack were not immediately known. City Comptroller Mark Levine said on X that the suspect is “said to be an emotionally disturbed homeless person”.

He added that all of the victims are expected to survive.

Governor Kathy Hochul condemned the incident as “an act of horrific violence”.

“New Yorkers deserve to feel safe wherever they go, and we will never stop working to make that a reality,” she said in a statement.

The stabbing took place at one of the country’s busiest rail and subway hubs just as New York braces for a packed stretch of international and domestic sports.

Madison Square Garden, directly above Penn Station in downtown Manhattan, is set to host games three and four of the NBA Finals on Monday and Wednesday between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs.

MetLife Stadium, across the Hudson in neighbouring New Jersey, will stage its first World Cup match on Saturday.

US President Donald Trump is expected to attend Monday’s NBA game at Madison Square Garden, after saying recently that he had accepted an invitation from Knicks owner James Dolan.

Security has already been stepped up ahead of the two events.

New York’s official emergency notification system did not detail the stabbing, but urged people to steer clear of the area and “expect traffic delays, road closures, mass transit disruptions & emergency personnel near Penn Station”.

Even before Sunday’s attack, city officials had cancelled an outdoor watch party planned for Monday outside the Garden.

Thousands of spectators had gathered outside the arena on Friday for a game-two watch party, and authorities said a police officer was assaulted while 26 people were arrested after some fans became unruly.

In Kansas City, police said no suspect was in custody and that at least three of the shooting victims were taken to local hospitals.

The incident happened about 6.5km (4 miles) from Swope Soccer Village, where England are expected to train. England have not yet arrived in Kansas City and are due to play a friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday.

What security measures has the US put in place for the World Cup?

The expanded 48-team, 104-match World Cup poses a major security test for the host nations, especially the US, which is set to stage 78 matches in 11 cities.

A wide network of federal agencies, state and local police departments and private firms is managing the operation, with duties ranging from protecting stadiums and fan zones to escorting teams and safeguarding dignitaries.

The security toolkit includes hunter drones capable of dropping nets over objects in restricted airspace, robot dogs used to inspect bags, large X-ray trucks and thousands of AI-powered cameras monitoring public areas that are expected to be packed with fans.

Drones are banned over stadiums and fan zones, and the FBI has a “full suite of options” to stop intrusions, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Amit Kachhia-Patel.

On match days, the FBI will open joint operations centres in each host city, uniting local, state and federal agencies to watch for and investigate threats.

The tournament has been given the same high-level federal security designation as the Super Bowl, one notch below a presidential inauguration or national political convention, which ensures coordination across all levels of law enforcement. It also overlaps with other major events tied to the 250th anniversary of the US’s founding.

So far, there are no credible threats, according to Andrew Giuliani, executive director of Trump’s World Cup task force, which is overseeing the multiagency effort.

The Department of Homeland Security, which is focused on Trump’s immigration crackdown and has only recently emerged from a funding lapse, estimates that as many as seven million people will travel to the US for the World Cup.

The US Secret Service, which has faced scrutiny over security failures and attempts on Trump’s life, is responsible for protecting visiting world leaders who may attend matches to support their countries. Trump has said he is interested in attending a game.

Gun violence remains a familiar feature of life in the US, where there were more than 400 mass shootings in 2025, according to the Gun Violence Archive.