UNITED STATES SEIZES MORE THAN 1,000 DOMAINS ILLEGALLY STREAMING 2026 WORLD CUP MATCHES

WASHINGTON — Federal authorities seized more than 1,000 internet domains used to illegally stream copyrighted matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, disrupting international digital-piracy networks that profited from the global popularity of the tournament.

The Department of Justice announced the results on Monday, July 20, one day after the tournament concluded with Spain winning the World Cup final.

The domains were seized through three separate federal enforcement actions conducted during the tournament as part of Operation Offsides. Nearly 400 illegal streaming domains had already been seized by the end of June, with subsequent operations bringing the total to more than 1,000.

The investigation was led by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Washington Field Office and the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.

According to an affidavit filed in support of a federal seizure warrant in the Eastern District of Virginia, the domains provided unauthorized real-time streams of copyrighted World Cup matches while the games were being officially broadcast.

HSI special agents accessed the domains and confirmed that the sites were actively streaming World Cup content without authorization. The seizure orders allowed authorities to take control of the domain names and replace the illegal services with federal seizure notices.

FIFA assisted investigators in identifying the domains. Additional information was provided by beIN Media Group, NBCUniversal, the Motion Picture Association’s Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and Warner Bros.

FIFA holds the exclusive authority to sanction and stage the World Cup, which was hosted across cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Unauthorized streaming operations bypass licensing agreements, broadcast rights, and distribution controls while profiting from the unlawful distribution of copyrighted content.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said the seizures demonstrated the federal government’s commitment to protecting intellectual-property rights and reducing the risks created by malicious software embedded in illegal streaming services.

The enforcement effort extended beyond copyright protection. Federal authorities warned that illegal streaming platforms can expose users to malware, stolen payment information, credential theft, deceptive advertisements, and other cyber threats.

“Streaming content from illicit websites opens your devices to unknown risks,” said Matthew Millhollin, deputy executive associate director of HSI.

Millhollin warned that operators already willing to violate copyright law could also use their platforms to distribute malware or obtain users’ financial information.

Ivan J. Arvelo, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, said unauthorized World Cup broadcasts violate intellectual-property rights and generate support for criminal organizations. He credited coordination among law enforcement and private-sector partners with identifying and disabling the domains.

Illegal sports streams are frequently delivered through web-based services and Internet Protocol Television platforms. These operations can imitate legitimate subscription services while distributing copyrighted programming without permission from the rights holders.

The World Cup enforcement campaign also included Operation Red Card, an international effort targeting digital piracy and counterfeit merchandise across the Western Hemisphere.

The Justice Department’s International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property program coordinated operations involving Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. The effort included an intergovernmental meeting held in Bogotá, Colombia, on July 1 and 2.

International authorities blocked 14 illegal streaming sites in Argentina, 223 in Ecuador, 28 in Peru, 309 in Brazil, 256 in the Dominican Republic, and 1,140 in Colombia. Those actions were separate from the more than 1,000 domains seized through the United States operation.

Colombian authorities also conducted 13 search-and-seizure operations targeting the production and distribution of counterfeit sports apparel. Those investigations resulted in 11 arrests and convictions.

A second phase of Operation Red Card began on July 10, with coordinated operations conducted in Bogotá, Soacha, Maríalabaja, Manatí, and Sincerín.

During those actions, Colombian authorities arrested four people identified as members of the cybercriminal organization Los Ciberinfiltrados. The group is accused of illegally accessing telecommunications systems and selling pirated streaming content, including World Cup matches, beginning in 2024.

Authorities allege that members of Los Ciberinfiltrados used fraudulent credentials, virtual private networks, intercepted security codes, and manipulated corporate system profiles to access and redistribute protected content. The allegations against the arrested individuals have not been established through convictions.

European enforcement activity was coordinated through the Justice Department’s International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property representative in Bucharest, Europol, and foreign law-enforcement partners.

Operation Offsides is led by the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center with support from HSI’s Washington Field Office, HSI attaché offices, international authorities, and private-sector organizations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Mercer for the Eastern District of Virginia assisted with the operation. Senior Counsel Brian Mund, Assistant Deputy Chief Adrienne Rose, and Acting Deputy Chief Christopher Merriam of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section also assisted.

The Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual-property offenses in cooperation with domestic and international law-enforcement agencies. Since 2020, the section has secured convictions against more than 180 cybercrime and intellectual-property offenders and obtained court orders directing the return of more than $350 million in victim funds.

The federal seizure action removed access through the targeted domain names, but officials warned that illegal streaming remains a profitable and persistent form of cyber-enabled crime. Users who access unauthorized platforms can expose their devices, personal information, passwords, and payment credentials to operators whose activities exist outside legitimate security and consumer-protection systems.

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