Skip to content
← The Wire Room
DESK6H AGO· Cornerflick staff

World Cup 2026 to use medical drones in stadiums

Guardian drones will carry defibrillators, EpiPens and first-aid kits to help respond quickly to medical emergencies in the stands.

Filed Wednesday, 03 June 2026

World Cup 2026 organisers will deploy medical drones in stadiums across the United States, Canada and Mexico to help protect spectators.

The drones will act as first responders inside the venues, carrying equipment such as defibrillators, EpiPens and first-aid kits to emergency locations in the stands.

They are designed to fly to specific sections of a stadium and land at the scene, allowing medical supplies to reach spectators quickly. The drones will also support live communication between people on site and emergency crews through handheld radios.

Motorola Solutions is leading part of the project and will use drones called Guardian.

The drones can carry up to 10 pounds, or about 4.5kg, and are intended to reach hard-to-access areas inside the stadiums.

Organisers are looking for ways to cut response times after medical emergencies have increasingly caused stoppages during football matches in recent years. Graphic: hero image showing a packed World Cup 2026 stadium with a small medical drone flying above the stands, carrying an emergency medical kit marked with a universal first-aid