The Justice Department announced Monday a sweeping enforcement action against illegal streaming of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, seizing more than 1,000 internet domains that were broadcasting matches without authorization.
The operation, which the DOJ dubbed “Operation Offsides,” ran throughout the month-long tournament and resulted in the seizure of over 1,000 websites and the blocking of nearly 2,000 domains, according to the department’s announcement. Investigators said they received more than 3,000 leads during the course of the operation.
“The sustained effort to seize more than a thousand domains dedicated to illegally streaming the World Cup confirms the administration’s commitment to intellectual property rights and to the success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Criminal Division said in a statement.
The seized domains had been offering users copyright-protected content in the form of real-time streams of World Cup matches. The DOJ replaced the illegal streaming sites with federal seizure notices, alerting visitors that the domains had been taken down by law enforcement.
Security Risks Beyond Copyright Violation
Homeland Security Investigations Deputy Executive Associate Director Matthew Millhollin emphasized that illegal streaming sites pose risks to users beyond simply violating intellectual property laws. Many such platforms, he warned, expose visitors to malware infections and payment information theft.
“Criminals operating these unauthorized platforms are already willing to break the law when they stream copyrighted World Cup games, they might also be planning to inject malware or steal your payment information,” Millhollin said. “Protect your online presence and enjoy the finals with official streaming partners.”
Industry Cooperation in Enforcement
The investigation relied on cooperation from multiple major media companies and sports organizations to identify the illegal streaming sites. FIFA, beIN Media Group, NBC Universal, the Motion Picture Association’s Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and Warner Brothers all assisted investigators in the operation.
According to the DOJ, the enforcement action built upon a previous crackdown announced last month that resulted in the seizure of nearly 400 domains engaged in similar illegal streaming activities.
International Coordination
The department also disclosed that its International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property program participated in a separate international operation. Dubbed “Operation Red Card,” that effort targeted digital piracy and counterfeiting linked to the World Cup in Colombia, demonstrating coordination between U.S. authorities and international partners in combating copyright infringement.
The timing and scale of Operation Offsides represents one of the most significant enforcement actions against sports streaming piracy during a major international tournament. The 2026 World Cup marks the first time the tournament has been held across three host nations, with matches taking place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/while-the-world-watched-soccer-the-doj-was-building-a-case