World Cup 2026: U.S. Department of Justice seizes hundreds of websites running illegal streams of matches
The U.S. Department of Justice cracked down hard on websites attempting to stream illegal World Cup matches. Nearly 400 websites used to illegally stream World Cup games were seized by the government, officials said Friday.
The U.S. Department of Justice worked with FIFA, NBC Universal and Warner Brothers, among others, to identify those domains.
Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf of ICE Homeland Security Investigations Washington Field Office said in a statement:
"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."
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The targeted domains were reportedly coming from sources in Peru, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Colombia and Croatia. Action was taken coinciding with the International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Network.
Websites impacted by the operation then displayed a banner message when someone tried to access them.
"This website has been seized by law enforcement authorities as part of Operation Offsides, a coordinated global effort led by the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center with international law enforcement and private sector partners.
"This action was taken to protect consumers and enforce intellectual property rights worldwide."
A week before this operation by the DOJ, the Motion Picture Association's Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, along with three other groups, shut down 44 domains part of a major sports piracy ring. Reportedly, those domains generated more than 950 million illegal views every year.
After that bust, ACE said in a statement:
"The service primarily targeted viewers throughout Latin America, with particularly strong audiences in Mexico and Colombia, while also attracting significant traffic from markets such as Spain and the United States."
The 2026 World Cup has reached the knockout stage, and the tournament final will be held on July 19.
