The U.S. Department of Justice has seized more than 1,000 websites and blocked 1,970 domains that were being used to illegally stream FIFA World Cup 2026 matches.
The large-scale enforcement effort targeted piracy networks that distributed copyrighted sports broadcasts without permission.
Authorities identified the domains with help from FIFA, the Motion Picture Association’s Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), and several major media companies, including beIN Media Group, NBCUniversal, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and Warner Bros. The investigations were led by the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington.
The domain seizures were carried out under Operation Offsides, an international law enforcement campaign involving 14 partners across 54 countries. By the end of last month, the operation had already disrupted nearly 400 web domains, with the latest actions pushing the total number of seized sites past 1,000.
According to Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, the operation is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing effort to protect copyrighted content while reducing the cybersecurity risks linked to illegal streaming platforms. Officials warned that many unauthorized streaming websites expose users to malware, insecure connections, and other threats that can put personal and financial information at risk.
At the same time, international authorities launched Operation Red Card, another coordinated crackdown targeting illegal sports streaming services across Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia. The campaign resulted in hundreds of additional piracy websites being blocked.
During the second phase of Operation Red Card, which began on July 10 in Colombia, investigators arrested four suspected members of the cybercriminal group known as Los Ciberinfiltrados. The group is accused of illegally accessing telecommunications systems and selling pirated streaming services since at least 2024.
IPR Center Director Ivan J. Arvelo said that unauthorized broadcasts of World Cup matches not only violate intellectual property rights but also support organized criminal networks. He added that the joint operations disrupted major piracy infrastructure through close cooperation between law enforcement agencies and private industry.
The latest enforcement follows an FBI warning issued in May about fake FIFA-related websites created ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Those sites were designed to sell fake match tickets and hospitality packages while stealing users’ personal and financial information through various online scams.
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In June, Mexican authorities also shut down 44 domains connected to the illegal PirloTV streaming platform and a major sports piracy network. Investigators said the domains attracted more than 950 million visits annually, including around 230 million visits from users in Mexico alone.
U.S. Seizes Over 1,000 Illegal Streaming Sites During FIFA World Cup 2026 Crackdown
