BBC Conducts Riot Control Training for World Cup 2026 Coverage Staff in the US
The BBC has conducted mandatory riot control training courses for journalists and staff who will cover the 2026 World Cup matches in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. According to a report by the British newspaper The Telegraph, this program was introduced due to concerns over possible instability and protests in the host countries.
As The Telegraph writes, deployed staff have undergone a course called “Public Order,” which included practical exercises and role-playing in potential unrest scenarios. They were warned in advance that during the drills, artificial blood might even be splattered on their clothes to create a more realistic environment.
According to the report, the cost per course per person was about £750, with the total expenses for this program reaching tens of thousands of pounds; funding that comes from the BBC’s budget and ultimately from the television license fees.
The BBC had held similar training for its staff ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. However, according to The Telegraph, it is unclear whether such training was provided for the subsequent three tournaments in Brazil, Russia, and Qatar.
The security concerns ahead of the 2026 World Cup emerge amid recent months of violent protests in some US cities against the immigration policies of Donald Trump’s administration. Amnesty International and dozens of civil and human rights organizations have also recently issued a “travel advisory for the World Cup,” warning of what they describe as “rising authoritarianism and increasing violence” following mass deportations by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
