U.S. Customs and Border Protection said its “Protect the Pitch” operation intercepted nearly 2,600 counterfeit FIFA World Cup items, including shipments headed to Texas host cities
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said officers in Cincinnati seized nearly 2,600 counterfeit FIFA World Cup 2026 items in an operation targeting shipments bound for U.S. host cities, including Dallas and Houston.
According to CBP, the operation — called “Protect the Pitch” — ran from June 1 to 5 and focused on shipments of apparel, footwear, and other items bearing protected trademarks of national soccer federations and apparel makers. The agency said officers seized 68 shipments containing 2,589 items that, if genuine, would have carried a combined manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $266,566.
CBP said the operation specifically targeted shipments headed to the 11 U.S. cities hosting World Cup matches — including Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Boston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle. The agency said the seized goods included 1,563 jerseys, 306 pairs of shorts, 200 pairs of footwear, 150 hats, 80 shirts, and 290 other World Cup-related items, with most shipments originating in Mexico and Colombia and destined for locations across the U.S.
“It’s a shame criminals are preying on soccer fans and using the World Cup as a means to steal money from consumers,” said Cincinnati Port Director Eric Zizelman. He said counterfeiters flood the market with knockoffs around major sporting events like the Super Bowl, World Series, and World Cup, leaving businesses and consumers to pay the price.
A Broader World Cup Crackdown
According to CBP, the agency has made more than 1,400 World Cup-related seizures in the first week of match play, totaling over $23 million in suggested retail value had the goods been genuine. The agency said the seizures protect more than intellectual property, describing them as a way to safeguard economic security, keep proceeds from reaching criminal organizations, and stop enterprises that profit from forced labor.
CBP urged consumers to shop from reputable sources, noting that more than 90% of counterfeit seizures occur in the international mail and express shipping environments that handle small e-commerce packages. The agency said suspected violations can be reported to CBP or to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center at 1-866-IPR-2060.
