World Cup security hub shows benefits of multilateralism Trump rejects

At a conference centre near Leesburg, Virginia, the International Police Co-operation Center (IPCC) brings together security representatives from 46 nations and 16 host cities to coordinate safety for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The hub, which includes officials from the US, Japan, Brazil, Belgium, Senegal, and others, operates during matches with tables rearranged so that representatives from competing teams sit alongside host-city officials for real-time intelligence sharing. FBI special agent Doug Olson, senior coordinating official for the tournament, describes the atmosphere as lively and competitive. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup and son of Rudy Giuliani, insists that despite strained US relations with allies under President Donald Trump—including intelligence-sharing cuts by the UK, France, and the Netherlands—security cooperation with Canadian and Mexican counterparts has been outstanding. Giuliani frames the event as a platform for American exceptionalism. The IPCC excludes Haiti and Iran. The article argues that the successful multinational security effort demonstrates the value of multilateralism, contrasting with Trump's combative approach at the NATO summit and his threats against allies. Olson notes that safety requires deliberate daily sharing of threat information across local, state, and international levels.