US Seizes More Than 1,000 Domains Streaming World Cup Illegally

Ferran Torres #7 of Spain celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19, 2026.David Ramos/Getty ImagesThe Justice Department announced Monday that authorities seized more than 1,000 internet domains used to illegally stream FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in violation of U.S. copyright law.The seizures, carried out during enforcement actions as part of “Operation Offsides,” were based on an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Washington Field Office and the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.Authorities said the domains were offering unauthorized real-time streams of World Cup matches and warned that illegal streaming sites can expose users to malware and payment information theft.“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 of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, in a statement.“Operation Offsides is part of the Department’s ongoing effort to protect copyright while reducing the risk to American consumers from the malicious software embedded in many illicit streaming services.”The enforcement action came as FIFA reported the tournament generated record digital engagement, including 20 billion video views across its platforms through the round of 16, a 485 percent increase over the same stage of the 2022 World Cup.FIFA said the United States’ Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina drew a record 36.2 million viewers across FOX and Telemundo, making it the most-watched soccer match in U.S. television history, while Mexico’s Round of 16 match against England averaged 36 million viewers, the country’s most-watched World Cup match of the 21st century.According to an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Homeland Security Investigations agents confirmed the domains were actively broadcasting World Cup matches without authorization.The Justice Department said the U.S. operation was part of a broader international effort known as Operation Red Card, coordinated through its International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) program.Authorities in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru worked together to combat World Cup-related digital piracy, blocking illegal streaming sites, including 1,140 in Colombia, 309 in Brazil, 256 in the Dominican Republic, 223 in Ecuador, 28 in Peru, and 14 in Argentina.Colombian authorities also carried out 13 search-and-seizure operations targeting counterfeit sports apparel, resulting in 11 arrests and convictions, and later arrested four members of the cybercrime group Los Ciber Infiltrados, accused of illegally accessing telecommunications systems and selling pirated World Cup streams.The Justice Department said authorities in Europe also coordinated enforcement efforts with Europol to combat illegal streaming during the tournament.