Nearly 400 sites engaged in the unauthorized streaming of matches in the FIFA World Cup Finals were seized in a multi-agency, multi-national law enforcement operation led by the US Department of Justice.
The seized domains were identified with assistance of FIFA, with further supporting information provided by beIN Media Group, NBC Universal, Motion Picture Association’s Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and Warner Brothers. FIFA is the international governing body of association football (soccer) and holds the exclusive rights to sanction and stage the FIFA World Cup 2026, which is being hosted in multiple cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The seized domains were used to illegally offer users copyright-protected content in the form of real-time streams of 2026 World Cup matches as they are being played and first broadcast. US law enforcement operatives confirmed that the seized domains were actively broadcasting World Cup matches without authorization.
Part of Operation Offsides
The US action was part of an initiative called Operation Offsides, which is led by the US National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center,and conducted in coordination with the US Department of Homeland Security; targeting digital piracy domains associated with the World Cup. This operation is being conducted in coordination with HSI Washington, D.C., HSI Attaché offices, as well as private sector and law enforcement partners globally.
Broadly coordinated action
The law enforcement actions targeting the illegal broadcast of FIFA World Cup matches were coordinated with international partners through the International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) Network of U.S. prosecutors.
ICHIP-trained officials took part in actions across multiple countries. ICHIP prosecutors based in Sao Paul, Brazil and Bucharest, Romania, and the ICHIP for Internet-Based Fraud and Public Health in Washington, D.C. also provided crucial support to this operation.
Servers and domains linked to illegal streaming of World Cup games were targeted in Peru and Bulgaria, two known centers of online piracy activity. Additional ICHIP-supported disruptions took place in Croatia, Romania, Poland and Colombia.
Further details of collaboration across US and international law enforcement agencies are contained in the US DoJ press release linked below.
Why it matters
“When you open your network to illegal streaming sites, you’re taking a significant risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington Field Office. “These streamers not only violate copyright laws but also expose viewers to potential threats — including malware attacks and unsecure connections that can compromise personal and financial data. These website takedowns are a critical part of HSI’s strategy to uphold intellectual property laws, ensuring fans have a safe and authentic experience supporting their teams during the World Cup.”
Further reading
United States seizes hundreds of Internet domains used to illegally stream World Cup matches. Press release. June 26, 2026. US Depatment of Justice
