Thousands of websites taken down for illegal World Cup streams

What the report says

BBC Sport Football reported that nearly 3,000 websites were seized or blocked for illegally streaming matches during the 2026 World Cup, according to the US Department of Justice. The action included more than 1,000 domains in the United States and a comparable number in Colombia, with additional sites taken down in Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and the Dominican Republic.

The enforcement effort was carried out by US and South American agencies through investigations called “operation offsides” and “operation red card.” The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, helped oversee the US side. Officials said the sites infringed broadcast rights, and the DOJ said the expanded seizures followed an earlier announcement that 400 pages had been removed by the end of June.

The anti-piracy push was supported by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, Fifa, beIN Media Group, NBC Universal, Ultimate Fighting Championship and Warner Brothers, according to the report. BBC said Fifa and the media companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The case matters because World Cup broadcast rights are a major revenue source for Fifa and media companies, while illegal streams are widely viewed by rights holders as a costly threat to live sports broadcasting.

In Colombia, authorities also reported arrests linked to illegal access and distribution of World Cup games, including four alleged members of a group called Los Ciberinfiltrados. Separate operations there targeted counterfeit sports clothing, and the DOJ said 11 people had been arrested and convicted over fake sports merchandise.