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The England national football team will be shielded by three rings of security at their fortified U.S. base with sniper screens and anti-drone guns.
The squad's base will be transformed into a "virtual fortress," completely surrounded by concrete barriers and screens designed to block out potential snipers, The Sun reported.
To prevent the spying of drones, a strict no-fly zone will be enforced over the area, and a dedicated security command center will be established at the 54-room The Inn at Meadowbrook Hotel, which is located opposite the complex.
Armed police, security officers and private guards will continuously patrol the perimeter of the complex in Prairie Village, Kansas.
Additional privacy screens will be set up to prevent roughly 500 residents in an adjacent apartment complex from overlooking the squad.
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England players celebrate after thrashing Serbia 5-0 in the 2026 World Cup qualifying match on Sept. 9, 2025. Photo by Reuters |
The tight security protocols were driven by concerns regarding local gun crime rates and other potential threats.
Local police will officially escort the England team bus back and forth between the hotel and their training ground at the nearby Swope Soccer Village. That facility will also be heavily shielded from the public eye and protected against drones.
"The safety and security of players, staff, and their families is the number one priority, but precautions in the U.S. have been stepped up further," a source close to the Three Lions camp revealed.
When Thomas Tuchel's squad officially relocate to Kansas on June 13, players' partners, families and friends will be issued specialized passes to allow them access inside the protective cordon.
The FA’s security team is also on high alert following a recent domestic scandal, which saw Southampton banned from the English Championship play-off final after a staff member was caught surveilling rival Middlesbrough's training sessions, The Guardian reported.
With several national teams having previously used spies at major international tournaments, vigilance will remain high across key areas in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
To combat this, police in Kansas and the ten other U.S. host cities will deploy anti-drone guns capable of jamming or entirely taking control of flying threats. Hexacopter drones will then be used to net the incoming devices and carry them away for safe disposal.
Military chiefs in Mexico and Canada, where England could potentially play during the knockout stages, will utilize similar hand-held anti-drone jamming devices and fixed electronic warfare systems.
Security will remain exceptionally tight beyond the training camps. For England's opening World Cup group game on June 17 at the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium in Arlington, near Dallas, hundreds of extra police officers have been drafted in, and a no-fly zone will be set up.
