The United States is prepared to safely host the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite the massive security demands associated with welcoming millions of international visitors, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Sunday. 

Federal officials are not tracking any specific threats against the tournament, Mullin stressed in an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," while acknowledging that the sheer size of the event creates security concerns.

"There's a threat because of the amount of people coming in," Mullin said. "We have 5 to 7 million visitors that's going to be here over the next 30 to 35 days."

The Homeland Security secretary expressed confidence in the federal government's preparations.

"We're going to have a safe and one of the best World Cups in the history of this event," Mullin said.

Mullin, who wore a FIFA World Cup pin during the interview, noted that security planning extends far beyond the matches themselves and includes protection for teams, training sites, and host cities.

"The amount of security that brings in with this is unending, from the teams coming in to secure their base camp to the host cities," he said.

The tournament will be played across multiple North American cities, creating what Mullin described as an unprecedented security operation.

"We have to keep in mind 78 Super Bowls in 38 days throughout the United States and 11 different host cities," he said. "Each one of those had to be treated like a Super Bowl."

Mullin added that individual World Cup matches are expected to draw larger audiences than the NFL's championship game.

"Each one of those will have a bigger audience than the Super Bowl, and DHS has a lead in security," he said. "We feel very confident in our posture in each one of these places."

The secretary also criticized Democrats over funding delays earlier this year, saying the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection faced challenges reimbursing local law enforcement agencies assisting with security preparations.

"The truth is, though, with the Democrats defunding ICE and CBP for 115 days and DHS for 76 days, it made it tough," Mullin said.

While he said federal officials are ready for the tournament, Mullin maintained preparations would have been easier without the funding disruptions.

"We're ready," he said. "But I feel positive that we could have been even in a better position if we weren't having to deal with the gamesmanship of the Democrat Party through this whole political theater of keeping the Department of Homeland Security shut down.