As World Cup matches continue across North America, U.S. authorities are targeting one of the tournament’s biggest unofficial channels: illegal streaming.
On Friday, June 26, the Department of Justice announced that it had seized approximately 400 Internet domains that were allegedly used to illegally stream FIFA World Cup matches in real time, a violation of U.S. copyright law, according to the Justice Department.
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These seizures were made as part of Operation Offside, an international enforcement effort led by the National Intellectual Property Coordination Center with support from Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. prosecutors, foreign law enforcement partners, FIFA, and several major media companies, including NBCUniversal, Warner Bros., and UFC.
So if someone clicks on one of the currently seized domains, they won’t see any World Cup streams. They will see a law enforcement notice explaining that the site has been taken offline, specifically that “this site has been seized.”
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The operation extends outside the U.S. The Justice Department said law enforcement actions were being coordinated through the U.S. Prosecutor’s International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Network, with servers and domains linked to illegal World Cup streaming targeting Peru and Bulgaria. Further sabotage was carried out in Croatia, Romania, Poland and Colombia.
Assistant Attorney General A. Theisen Duba added in a statement that the Justice Department seized the domains to disrupt international networks “profiting from the worldwide popularity of the World Cup.” The department also characterized this action as part of the United States’ responsibility, as one of the host countries along with Canada and Mexico, to protect the Games from illegal activities.
The Justice Department’s argument was not just about copyright. Officials also warned that illegal streaming sites could put viewers at “significant risk”.
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The warning is a big part of the government’s lawsuit against illegal sports streaming. Justice Department officials say unapproved streaming sites expose viewers to malware attacks and insecure connections that can compromise personal and financial data. This risk is not just theoretical. A 2022 report from the UK-based anti-piracy organization Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) found malicious content such as fraudulent ads, banking Trojans, and explicit pop-ups on all 50 illegal sports streaming sites analyzed. Viewers also face deceptive advertising, fraud, and widespread tracking.
So illegal streams may seem like an easy workaround when you’re having trouble finding a match, but apparently, malware isn’t an option.
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Friday’s crackdown also comes in the midst of a larger sports piracy battle. Days before the Justice Department announced the World Cup domain seizure, ACE, UEFA, UC3, and Mexican authorities announced that they had disrupted 44 domains associated with Pirlo TV, a major illegal sports streaming network primarily focused on live soccer coverage. These domains generate more than 950 million visits each year around the world, including approximately 230 million visits in Mexico alone.
After the domains linked to PirloTV were discontinued, new domains quickly reappeared. It’s basically a pirate’s version of whack-a-mole.
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There’s a reason why watching illegal sports streaming is so popular right now. Sports rights are increasingly divided between traditional broadcasters, streaming apps, cable packages, and geographic markets. For fans, deciding where to watch each game can be confusing and expensive, especially during a global event like the World Cup. Some people say that illegal sites have better quality.
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Rights holders, meanwhile, argue that piracy drives viewers away from licensed broadcasters, advertisers and platforms who have paid large sums of money for the rights to air the games.
The risks associated with tournaments go beyond illegal streaming. On May 27, the FBI warned fans about a fake FIFA website created ahead of the 2026 World Cup. These spoofed sites are designed to impersonate FIFA and can be used to sell fake tickets and hospitality packages, collect personal information, and facilitate financial fraud. Taken together, these warnings demonstrate how quickly the online ecosystem surrounding major tournaments is becoming compromised.
For now, hundreds of World Cup streaming domains are offline. However, sports piracy has a long history of moving from one realm to the next, especially during events with high global demand. While this seizure is a major enforcement action, it is probably not the final whistle.
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FIFA World Cup Streaming
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