A drone, whose operator remains unknown, hovered over a training session for the U.S. men’s national soccer team in St. Louis on Tuesday. The team is gearing up for their upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-final against Guatemala.
As reported by ESPN, U.S. Soccer officials are currently working to track down the source of the drone. The USMNT had three drones of their own for capturing training footage, but the unexpected fourth drone landed outside the secured area, close to the broadcast section of the training facility.
This wasn’t the only instance of confusion during the training; it’s unclear if the two events are connected.
USMNT is set to reach the finals for the first time since clinching victory in 2021, facing Guatemala at St. Louis Energy Park in Wednesday’s semi-finals. Meanwhile, Guatemala is hoping for their first-ever final appearance, marking their first Gold Cup semi-final since 1996.
Drones in CONCACAF: A Controversial Trend
While teams have been using drones to document their training sessions, there have been discussions about their use for espionage against rivals.
A prominent incident involves a Canadian drone scandal that surfaced during the 2024 Olympics, where FIFA penalized the women’s national team by deducting six points, leading to the dismissal of head coach Bev Priestman. The team had allegedly used drones for years to monitor their opponents’ training, as highlighted by John Hardman, a former Canadian women’s coach, who brought this to light in relation to the Concacaf U-17 Women’s Championship in 2016.
Following a disciplinary hearing, Hardman received a written warning in May.
Fan Take: The use of drones in soccer, particularly for spying, raises significant ethical questions about competition in the sport. This incident underscores the need for clearer regulations, as the evolving technology could impact the integrity of future matches.
