The U.S. Justice Department announced on Monday, July 21, 2026, that it had seized over 1,000 internet domains used to illegally stream matches from the recently concluded World Cup. This total includes nearly 400 domains shut down by the end of June. The seizures in the United States were carried out through three enforcement actions, according to a Justice Department release.

American authorities also coordinated with counterparts in Latin America to block additional illegal streaming sites, including 14 in Argentina, 309 in Brazil, 1,140 in Colombia, 256 in the Dominican Republic, 223 in Ecuador, and 28 in Peru.

Tysen Duva stated that the operation, named Operation Offsides, is part of the Department's ongoing effort to protect copyright and reduce risks to American consumers from malicious software often embedded in illicit streaming services.

Federal prosecutors did not disclose whether any individuals had been charged or arrested in connection with the illegal streaming activities.

This crackdown follows the shutdown of the 80-site illegal streaming network Streameast a year ago, which was the largest such operation globally. Streameast streamed European and U.S. domestic sports leagues and reportedly generated $10.2 million in advertising revenue. Recently, two Streameast operators were sentenced in Egypt to two years in prison for their involvement in the piracy network. The men, identified by The Athletic as an engineer and a medical doctor in their late 30s, were not publicly named by Egyptian authorities.

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