The U.S. Department of Justice has intensified its fight against digital piracy during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, seizing nearly 400 websites accused of illegally broadcasting tournament matches.
The operation, announced on Friday, was carried out in cooperation with FIFA, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. and several international law enforcement agencies. Authorities said the targeted platforms were distributing unauthorized streams of World Cup games to millions of viewers worldwide.
According to officials, many of the domains involved originated from Peru, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Colombia and Croatia.
“This operation was designed to protect consumers and enforce intellectual property rights on a global scale,” authorities stated.
Eric Weindorf, Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Washington, warned that illegal streaming services pose risks beyond copyright infringement.
“These streamers not only violate copyright laws but also expose viewers to potential threats, including malware attacks and insecure connections that can compromise personal and financial data,” he said.
Users attempting to access the seized domains are now met with a notice explaining that the websites were taken down as part of Operation Offsides, an international anti-piracy initiative coordinated by the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.
The crackdown comes amid growing concerns over sports piracy, which continues to cost rights holders billions of dollars in lost revenue annually.
Just a week earlier, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), backed by the Motion Picture Association and industry partners, announced the closure of 44 domains linked to a major sports piracy network. Investigators estimated that those platforms generated more than 950 million illegal views every year.
According to ACE, the network primarily targeted audiences across Latin America, particularly in Mexico and Colombia, while also attracting significant traffic from Spain and the United States.
The latest enforcement action highlights the increasing efforts by governments, broadcasters and rights holders to protect the commercial value of major sporting events, especially during global tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, where media rights represent one of the sport’s most valuable assets.