Preparing for the worst across the United States for next 40 days. This week, the largest sporting event ever staged, the expanded World Cup, with 48 teams and 104 matches across 16 cities in North America (U.S., Mexico, and Canada), arrives at a time of global tension, war in the Middle East, growing left-wing political violence, cyberattacks, threats from drones, and fears of AI-fueled disruptions. The Democrat-led partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earlier this year didn’t help America prepare. While no credible threats have been identified — so far — planners are still facing an unprecedented security challenge. Because the games here are so sprawling — (the last World Cup in Qatar saw 32 teams play across a country smaller than Connecticut) — the federal government does not have the resources to take over as it would for a presidential inauguration or even the Olympics. Instead, it is