Nearly 3,000 websites used to illegally stream matches from the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been blocked or seized in a coordinated international anti-piracy operation led by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and law enforcement agencies across the Americas.
The DOJ said more than 1,000 internet domains were shut down in the United States during the tournament, while a similar number were blocked in Colombia.
Authorities also disabled hundreds of additional illegal streaming websites across Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and the Dominican Republic.
The enforcement campaign was carried out under investigations known as Operation Offsides and Operation Red Card, targeting online platforms accused of violating broadcasting rights by illegally distributing World Cup matches.
Global anti-piracy operation
Ivan J. Arvelo, Director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Centre (NIPRCC), said illegal broadcasting of World Cup matches infringes intellectual property rights and supports organised crime.
“Unauthorised broadcasting of World Cup matches violates intellectual property rights and fuels criminal organisations,” Arvelo said.
The DOJ had announced at the end of June that it had shut down about 400 websites linked to illegal streaming of the World Cup.
Authorities said the latest operation expanded that effort, bringing the total number of blocked or seized domains to nearly 3,000.
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“The sustained effort to seize more than a thousand domains dedicated to illegally streaming the World Cup confirms the administration’s commitment to intellectual property rights and to the success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva.
The operation was largely coordinated by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), through the NIPRCC.
Illegal streaming remains a major challenge
Sports piracy has become a growing concern for broadcasters and rights holders, who estimate that illegal streaming costs the industry billions of dollars each year.
Football, because of its global popularity, has been identified by industry analysts as one of the most heavily pirated sports worldwide. Rising broadcasting rights fees have also increased subscription costs for fans, leading some viewers to turn to unauthorised streaming services.
Charles Rivkin, chairman of the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), which assisted the investigations, said major sporting events remain prime targets for piracy networks.
“The World Cup is the kind of global live event that piracy networks move quickly to exploit,” Rivkin said.
FIFA and broadcasters support enforcement
The anti-piracy campaign received support from FIFA, tournament broadcasters and major media companies, including beIN Media Group, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Broadcasting rights are one of FIFA’s largest sources of revenue, with media organisations paying billions of dollars for exclusive rights to televise World Cup matches worldwide.
Neither FIFA nor the media companies immediately commented on the latest enforcement actions.
Arrests and counterfeit merchandise seizures
Authorities in Colombia said the operation also led to several arrests.
Four suspected members of a cybercrime group known as Los Ciberinfiltrados were arrested for allegedly obtaining and distributing illegal access to World Cup broadcasts.
In addition to the crackdown on online piracy, Colombian authorities carried out nationwide search-and-seizure operations targeting counterfeit sports merchandise.
The DOJ said 11 people in Colombia were arrested and convicted for the illegal manufacture and distribution of fake sporting goods linked to the tournament.
The latest operation forms part of broader international efforts to combat digital piracy and protect intellectual property rights during major global sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup.
