The crackdown, announced by the **U.S. Justice Department**, targeted websites offering unauthorized real-time streams of **2026 World Cup** matches. This action was a collaborative effort involving international partners through the **International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) Network** of U.S. prosecutors, with servers and domains seized across Peru, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Poland, and Colombia. Visitors attempting to access the seized domains are now greeted with a banner stating, "This website has been seized by law enforcement authorities as part of Operation Offsides, a coordinated global effort led by the **National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center** with international law enforcement and private sector partners." The message emphasizes the intent to "protect consumers and enforce intellectual property rights worldwide."  Law enforcement identified the infringing domains with crucial leads provided by U.S. authorities, supported by entities such as **FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)**, **beIN Media Group**, **NBCUniversal**, the **Motion Picture Association's Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE)**, **Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)**, and **Warner Bros.** Special Agent in Charge **Eric Weindorf** of **ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington Field Office** highlighted the dual threat posed by these platforms. "These streamers not only violate copyright laws but also expose viewers to potential threats — including malware attacks and unsecure connections that can compromise personal and financial data," Weindorf stated. This recent action follows a **FBI** warning in May regarding fake **FIFA** websites designed to defraud users with bogus tickets and hospitality packages, and to harvest personal and financial information through various scams related to the upcoming World Cup. Just last week, **ACE**, **UEFA**, **UC3**, and Mexican authorities successfully disrupted a major sports piracy network, seizing 44 domains linked to the illegal **PirloTV** streaming platform. This network reportedly amassed over 950 million visits annually, with a significant portion originating from Mexico. **PirloTV** is notorious for aggregating and embedding links to unauthorized live sports streams, particularly soccer, and has a history of rapidly migrating to new domains to evade enforcement actions. **PirloTV** primarily targeted audiences in Latin America, with strong user bases in Mexico and Colombia, and also attracted substantial traffic from Spain and the United States. The platform is reportedly used to watch **World Cup 2026** matches on mobile devices, often due to complex platform-specific access restrictions and fragmented broadcasting rights.