Every day, FBI intelligence officials, weather forecasters, diplomats, security coordinators and people from more than a dozen federal agencies gather on a conference line for what has become one of the most unusual meetings in Washington.

It’s dubbed the “WISLE call” — an acronym that stands for Warning/Weather, Intent, Safety/Security, Logistics/Communications and Event Operations. And it happens every morning around 10 a.m. Eastern during the FIFA World Cup, which is about to enter its fourth week.

From a secure operations floor inside FEMA’s Washington headquarters, officials spend about 30 minutes running through the day’s World Cup matches, touching on everything from extreme heat advisories and fan festivals to cartel activity in Mexico, drone threats, visa issues and stadium security.

On Tuesday, when Brazil played Japan in Houston and Germany faced Paraguay in Boston, the biggest concern on the call wasn’t terrorism. It was the weather.

“The main story over the next couple of days is going to be building heat across the central and eastern United States,” a National Weather Service official told the group. Philadelphia, Boston and New York were all under heat watches, while Houston officials reported temperatures nearing 95 degrees with a heat index above 100.

The daily briefing offers a rare window into the machinery and threat assessments that underpin the largest sporting event ever hosted in North America.

The command center resembles a national emergency operations center more than a sports headquarters. Ten Homeland Security agencies including TSA, Customs and Border Protection, and FEMA work side-by-side on a watch floor staffed around the clock. The State Operations Coordination Center for Event Response — yes another “SOCCER” acronym — is also involved.

About 50 people occupy the physical operations center during 12-hour shifts, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and again overnight, monitoring every match, fan festival and emerging threat across the United States. The center works closely with the International Police Cooperation Center in Leesburg, Virginia, where law enforcement officials from participating countries work alongside U.S. officials. Monday’s WISLE call began with intelligence — and, again, concerns about extreme weather.

An FBI official updated participants on the coming heat wave, noting the bureau was coordinating with federal, state and local partners ahead of the July 4th holiday while also tracking security implications as national teams exited the tournament and closed their training camps.

From there, officials moved city by city. In Boston, clear weather for the sellout crowd of nearly 66,000 for Germany-Paraguay. In Houston, preparations were underway for heat-related illnesses for the Brazil-Japan match.

The State Department’s representative dialed in from the Joint Coordination Center at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City with an update spanning three countries. Mexican police had dismantled a criminal group targeting tourists around World Cup venues, Vancouver’s fan festival had reached capacity during Canada’s match, and officials were monitoring large fan gatherings expected later that evening in both Mexico City and Monterrey.

Despite the long checklist of potential problems, nearly every operational report ended the same way: “All teams are green.”

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House World Cup Task Force, used his remarks to thank FEMA and Homeland Security personnel while highlighting accomplishments across the federal government that extended well beyond soccer.

He praised U.S. Marshals for recovering 35 missing and endangered children during Operation Yellow Card in Boston, noted DEA fentanyl seizures in Kansas City and public health operations led by Health and Human Services and the CDC. He also announced that the mother of the Capo Verde goalkeeper had successfully received a visa to travel to the United States.

“The behind-the-scenes work that goes into it,” Giuliani said, “is one of the reasons we’re able to talk now halfway through the World Cup about the incredible success.”

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin pointed to what he called the largest counter-drone operation ever assembled for a sporting event in the United States, saying officials had confiscated more than 500 drones while also using the tournament’s security posture to pursue human trafficking networks, fentanyl traffickers and counterfeit operations.

Because stadium security has remained stable, he said, law enforcement has been able to focus resources elsewhere.

“Because you guys are doing such a good job making sure that the games are going off without any major issues,” Mullin said, “we’re able to focus on other things.”

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© AFP via Getty Images

DALLAS — Andrew Giuliani, President Donald Trump’s point person on the 2026 World Cup, said allowing Iran’s national team to enter the U.S. a day before its matches is an example of the administration being nice.

“We want them to be able to compete,” Giuliani said in an interview Sunday in Dallas. “Even just coming in the day before the match, I think is another example of the goodwill gesture to the team.” He said 31 Iranian players and the team’s coaches have received visas and that the arrangements “should not affect the integrity of the team.”

The comments come after Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, told POLITICO that Iran's presence in the U.S. for the World Cup should be read as a positive gesture from his country, as Tehran and Washington inch toward an agreement on ending the war that began in late February.

The Iranian team is traveling to the U.S. today from Tijuana, Mexico, where it moved its pre-tournament training camp from Tucson, Arizona, in light of the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran. Giuliani described the move as the “best solution for all parties involved,” noting that Tijuana remains a short flight from host cities including Los Angeles and Seattle, where Iran will play its group stage matches.

“That was a discussion from the top of [the] U.S. government, and with FIFA as well,” Giuliani said.The possibility of a politically charged matchup remains on the horizon: If the U.S. and Iran both place second in their respective groups, they will play each other on July 3 in the round of 32 in Dallas.

While defending Trump’s recent military actions against Iran, Giuliani also framed the tournament as a potential opportunity for sports diplomacy.

“This is a great moment, I think, for freedom-loving Iranians [and] freedom-loving Iranian Americans to be able to celebrate their soccer team coming to the United States and enjoy that, and look for the freedoms that can exist in Iran, right?” Giuliani said. “This can be one of those moments when you talk about sports diplomacy.”

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© Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images

DALLAS — The Trump administration has elevated dozens of more complex World Cup visa decisions to senior leadership as officials try to balance FIFA commitments with national security concerns.

In an interview Sunday, White House World Cup task force Executive Director Andrew Giuliani said many high-profile or complicated visa cases have ultimately reached his desk for a final determination.

"Dozens, I would say dozens," Giuliani said when asked how many edge cases had required senior-level review. He also suggested that some applicants who might otherwise face difficulties entering the country have received additional consideration because of U.S. commitments tied to hosting the World Cup.

"That's part of the contract the U.S. government signed with FIFA," Giuliani said.

In light of President Donald Trump’s tough border policies, these details provide a glimpse into the administration's process of reviewing visas ahead of the largest World Cup tournament in history — a task that’s involved the State Department, Department of Homeland Security and the White House World Cup task force to keep the process moving.

Giuliani defended the decision to deny entry to Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, saying it was made by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

While declining to discuss specific intelligence, he said Artan had been communicating with "bad actors" shortly before he was scheduled to travel to the U.S.

Giuliani had conversations with FIFA about Artan’s case because the Somali is one of the organization's referees.

"We talked about it, obviously, right? I mean, it's one of their referees," Giuliani said.

"There are some things we can't talk about," Giuliani said. "We want all those players and coaches to come to the United States of America, and officials and referees, as long as they're not communicating and coordinating with bad actors."

Giuliani emphasized that the overwhelming majority of players, coaches, referees and officials have received visas without issue.

Still, Giuliani said the administration's red line remains national security. Referencing broader concerns about individuals linked to terrorist organizations, he said the World Cup would not serve as a justification for admitting people deemed security risks.

"The first thing that is so key to this tournament being successful is the national security of the country," Giuliani said. "We're not going to let the World Cup be the excuse."

© Rebecca Blackwell/AP

MEXICO CITY, Mexico — The first booth World Cup fans encounter at the global fan expo in Mexico City’s Chapultepec Park belongs to Iran.

Inside, women in colorful headscarves serve sambuseh, a traditional Persian pastry, alongside stuffed dates. Persian rugs hang beside vases. The welcoming scene stands in sharp contrast to the reception Iran has received from the U.S., where its national team will play its first match against New Zealand on Monday.

While Iran was one of the first nations to qualify for the World Cup, President Donald Trump has been lukewarm about the country’s participation since the conflict began in February, and the State Department did not approve visas for all members of the Iranian delegation.

POLITICO spoke with Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, through his Spanish translator at the expo before he departed for Tijuana, where Iran’s national team is training after moving its pre-tournament camp from Tucson, Arizona.

Pasandideh remarked on Iran’s relations with the United States at a delicate moment. The visa denials impacting some of the Iranian team’s coaching staff may have a negative impact on the team’s performance, he said.

But as the two countries move closer to a potential peace agreement, Pasandideh pointed to Iran’s decision to send its national team to compete on U.S. soil as evidence of Tehran’s posture.

“The fact of our presence in the U.S. in a time of war sends a signal: We are in favor of peace,” he said.

And he had a direct message for Trump.

“If the U.S. closes its eyes to Israel’s interests,” Pasandideh said, “Iran and the U.S. can be very good friends.”

Click here to read Sophia's full conversation with Abolfazl Pasandideh.

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© Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images

“I was undecided with whether I never wanted to see these people ever again, because we had a pretty good idea of what had happened,” said former U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati about a stunning FIFA vote that handed the World Cup to Qatar over a favored American bid. “Or if I want to start bidding the next hour.”

Read the fullinside story of how FIFA’s rejection of a U.S. effort to host the 2022 World Cup sparked bitterness, indictments, a reorganization of soccer’s governing body and, ultimately, a North American World Cup.

© Pool photo by Doug Mills

As the opening match of the World Cup kicked off yesterday between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, thousands took to the streets to protest the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum.

They marched toward the historic Azteca Stadium, and began throwing cones, rocks and plant pots into the security perimeter that had been set up by Mexican authorities as the match kicked off at 3 p.m. Eastern time.

Riot police with shields and on horseback tried to contain the protestors who were there for a range of causes including a teachers union and the disappearances of tens of thousands of people in Mexico.

“There are more than 130,000 disappearances in Mexico and the president denies that they are forced,” one protestor told Forecast in Spanish. “There are no resources for mothers to search because they simply search without the support of the government or institutions. So they are alone, like the teachers.”

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U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude climbed during the session, crossing $101 per barrel from $67 per barrel before the war.

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© Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

He also said U.S. defense companies are “under emergency orders” to build weaponry.

© Francis Chung/POLITICO

A draft pact, obtained by POLITICO, seeks to help ensure data centers do not raise household electricity prices, strain water resources or undermine grid reliability.

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© Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Officials from 11 American host cities met with military and law-enforcement leaders to game out security threats to the summertime tournament.

© Pamela Smith/AP

The options being presented to Trump would range from targeted strikes inside Iran to offensive cyber attacks.

© Ebrahim Noroozi/AP

President Donald Trump and his chief of staff Susie Wiles were briefed in early December on how the Trump administration is mobilizing to bring down energy costs.

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© Joe Raedle/Getty Images