US President Donald Trump’s attendance at the World Cup final has prompted F-16 fighter jets and military marksmen to be drafted into the biggest sporting security operation in United States history.

Axar.az reports, citing The Telegraph, that the no-fly zone will be fiercely guarded, snipers will be on stadium roofs and thousands of FBI agents have been drafted in to support an unprecedented operation for a football match.

Significant delays for fans are guaranteed, the White House admitted, as it urged fans to arrive at the MetLife Stadium four hours before kick-off. The World Cup final is a “Level 1” special event – the highest possible security designation in the US. The gunman who breached security at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April was a “sobering reminder” of threats facing the nation this summer, the task force said before the tournament.

To support New Jersey State Police, Giuliani said “we’ve layered on top many federal agencies”. US F-16 fighter jets, meanwhile, have already intercepted a small civilian aircraft that violated temporary flight restrictions for the final.

The fighters released flares to attract the pilot’s attention before safely escorting the aircraft out of the restricted airspace, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The command had announced that it would enforce several Federal Aviation Administration temporary flight restrictions across the New York and New Jersey area from Friday until Sunday’s final, which will be contested by Spain and Argentina.

The FBI has also seized hundreds of drones flying in restricted airspace near stadiums during the tournament. A beefed-up Secret Service perimeter is likely to cause the majority of delays for fans getting to the stadium. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, told US media: “His [Trump’s] attendance will cap what has been the most watched, most secure and most successful World Cup in American history.”

More often than not, there are delays for fans when Trump shows up at sporting events. He attended an NBA Finals game last month in New York and police shut down several city blocks.