The Handala hacker group, linked to Iranian interests, claimed responsibility for infiltrating FBI drone systems and issued threats against World Cup security. The group claimed access to surveillance data for several months and warned of potential FPV drone attacks on team buses during the tournament.
In a statement cited by monitoring center SITE Intelligence Group, Handala stated: "Better strengthen security for the World Cup—we don't like some of these teams. FPV drones are everywhere. You never know when one might be right at your team's bus." The group published images and videos claiming to demonstrate their capabilities.
However, SITE Intelligence assessed the published evidence as inauthentic. One video claimed as proof was actually created in 2024 for an unrelated technology demonstration. The FBI uses drones near stadiums for security purposes, though unmanned aircraft are prohibited from flying over stadiums, fan zones, and official World Cup events.