Almost 3,000 websites have been blocked or seized for illegally streaming World Cup matches, in a joint crackdown by US and South American authorities. The US Department of Justice said the action, carried out under investigations dubbed "Operation Offsides" and "Operation Red Card", demonstrates a commitment to protecting intellectual property rights amid what analysts describe as "industrial scale" piracy of football broadcasts, which costs rights holders billions of pounds annually.

More than 1,000 domains were shut down in the US and a similar number in Colombia, with a further 830 sites taken down across Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and the Dominican Republic. Colombian authorities also arrested four members of a group called Los Ciberinfiltrados for illegally distributing access to matches, alongside separate operations targeting counterfeit sports merchandise that led to 11 arrests and convictions. The crackdown, led by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was backed by Fifa, broadcasters including NBC Universal and Warner Brothers, and the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment.