The U.S. government has shut down more than 1,000 internet domains that illegally streamed matches throughout the just-concluded 2026 FIFA World Cup without authorisation.
In a statement by the Department of Justice on Monday, the seizures occurred three times during the World Cup, including the instance reported by Peoples Gazette in June, when close to 400 websites were confiscated.
“The Department of Justice announced today the successful seizure of more than 1,000 domains that were engaged in the unauthorised streaming of matches in the FIFA World Cup Finals in violation of U.S. copyright law,” the department said.
In the affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to secure warrants necessary to carry out the confiscation, the DOJ alleged that the websites violated American copyright laws by streaming 2026 World Cup matches and content in real time.
It noted that federal agents also confirmed that the websites were broadcasting World Cup content without permission after the domains were identified by FIFA and evidence was provided by broadcasters, including beIN Media Group and NBC Universal, among others.
“According to an affidavit in support of a seizure warrant which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the seized domains were used to illegally offer users copyright-protected content in the form of real-time streams of 2026 World Cup matches as they are being played and first broadcast.
“In support of the application for seizure authority, HSI special agents confirmed that the seized domains were actively broadcasting World Cup matches without authorisation,” the U.S. government explained.
Assistant attorney general Andrew Tysen Duva of the DOJ’s criminal division mentioned that the raids highlighted President Donald Trump’s commitment to property rights.
“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.
“Operation Offsides is part of the Department’s ongoing effort to protect copyright while reducing the risk to American consumers from the malicious software embedded in many illicit streaming services,” Mr Duva said.
