The United States has seized more than 1,000 internet domains that illegally streamed FIFA World Cup 2026 matches as authorities intensified efforts to combat digital piracy and protect consumers from cyber threats.

The domain seizures were carried out in three waves throughout the tournament under Operation Offsides, a global enforcement campaign led by the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, and Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Washington Field Office. The initiative involved 14 partner organizations across 54 countries.

The first enforcement action shut down nearly 400 domains by the end of June. Two succeeding rounds increased the total number of seized domains to more than 1,000.

U.S. authorities said the operation targeted websites that illegally broadcast live World Cup matches without authorization. Investigators confirmed that the domains were actively streaming copyrighted content at the time they were identified.

“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,” said A. Tysen Duva, assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

The investigation was supported by intelligence from FIFA, the Motion Picture Association’s Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment and major rights holders, including beIN Media Group, NBCUniversal, UFC and Warner Bros.

Officials also warned that illegal streaming sites pose risks beyond copyright infringement.

“The unauthorized broadcast of World Cup matches violates intellectual property rights and fuels criminal organizations,” said Ivan J. Arvelo, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.

Matthew Millhollin, the deputy executive associate director of HSI, added that websites willing to illegally stream copyrighted content may also expose users to malware, phishing attacks and the theft of personal or financial information.

The U.S. operation coincided with Operation Red Card, a coordinated enforcement campaign involving authorities in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Peru under the Justice Department’s International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) program.

As part of the initiative, Colombia blocked 1,140 piracy-related domains, followed by Brazil with 309, the Dominican Republic with 256, Ecuador with 223, Peru with 28 and Argentina with 14.

Enforcement efforts also extended beyond domain seizures. On July 10, Colombian authorities launched the second phase of Operation Red Card, conducting raids across several cities and arresting four alleged members of Los Ciberinfiltrados. Prosecutors accused the group of infiltrating telecommunications systems since 2024 and reselling unauthorized streaming access to World Cup matches using stolen credentials and compromised corporate accounts.

The crackdown follows an earlier warning from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which alerted football fans in May about fraudulent FIFA websites selling counterfeit match tickets and hospitality packages while harvesting visitors' personal and payment information.

The coordinated actions underscore growing international efforts to curb digital piracy, disrupt cyber-enabled criminal networks, and safeguard consumers during one of the world's biggest sporting events.

- Asia IP