More than 3,000 officers from the National Republican Guard (GNR) will be mobilised for the Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2026 operation, with the primary focus on ensuring the safety of teams and spectators, both in spectator areas and in managing traffic along the main routes used by competitors.
According to Major General Joselino Ferreira of the GNR’s Operational Command, “the operation will focus on crowd control in designated areas and on road safety across the various regions of the North and Centre of the country, with particular emphasis on controlling access to spectator zones.”
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Martins of the GNR’s Communication and Public Relations Division reinforced that “through this police operation for the Rally de Portugal, the GNR aims to ensure the safety of all participants, whether drivers or spectators, across all routes, access points and special stages.”
The purpose of this operation is to “carry out a security operation to maintain public order and regulate traffic during the Vodafone Rally de Portugal, implementing a series of measures at various points across the Central and Northern regions of Portugal, with particular focus on the districts of Porto, Aveiro, Braga, Coimbra, Viseu, Viana do Castelo and Vila Real,” added Francisco Martins.
Noting that the Vodafone Rally de Portugal is the country’s largest sport event, the Lieutenant Colonel stressed that “the event requires special attention from both the organisers and the GNR, as it represents the largest police operation carried out in 2026.”
As the GNR deployment will involve several branches of the force — including traffic, public order and patrol units — with the aim of ensuring smooth traffic flow along connecting routes, João Jordão, Secretary-General of the Vodafone Rally de Portugal, highlighted “the complexity and scale of an event that spans 1,800 kilometres across the country, which is why it differs from all others.