Over the next month, US embassies and consulates around the global will be issuing alerts similar to that shown below as representative national teams compete in locations across Russia. Invariably, each country will stage massive gatherings and viewing parties in town squares and stadiums back home in support of the fan base.

Each of these gatherings present a broad range of ideal targets. 

If you are traveling abroad during the next four weeks as the World Cup tournament unfolds, you are strongly encouraged to be paying attention and applying an increased measure of caution and personal security awareness, particularly if your trip coincides with the foreign nation's team participating in a World Cup match.

The full match schedule can be viewed here:

https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/

- - - -

6/18/2018

Location: throughout Belgium

Event: Belgium has created viewing areas for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Large-scale international events such as the World Cup present an attractive target for terrorists. Although security may be extensive around the viewing areas, terrorists may seek to attack the public FanFest viewing areas, tourist sites, transportation hubs, and other public venues.

U.S. citizens should be prepared for:

• Police presence in and around public viewing areas, cafes/bars, transportation networks, hotels, vehicle checkpoints, and major tourist sites.
  
  
• Large crowds in and around public viewing areas.
  
  
• Traffic street closures in and around public viewing areas.
  

Actions to Take:

• Carry your passport or another official form of identification at all times.
  
• Exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings.
  
• Monitor local media for updates.
  

Assistance:

• Contact the U.S. Embassy in Belgium, located at 27 Blvd du Regent, 1000.
  
  +32 (2) 811 4000, 9:00am – 6:00pm Monday through Friday.
  

After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +32 (2) 811 4000.

Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

See the State Department's travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and country page.

Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.