A major crackdown on illegal streaming sites has resulted in the shutdown of 27,000 URLs ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The seven-month operation, codenamed Kratos 2, was co-led by Europol and Bulgaria's General Directorate Combating Organised Crime, running from September 2025 to April 2026.
Authorities across 13 countries, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Ireland, the USA, Belgium, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, participated in the operation. Nine organised criminal gangs running 'dodgy box' networks were dismantled, with 29 arrests made, 148 searches completed and 86 suspects identified.
The crackdown comes as millions of UK viewers are expected to watch the World Cup from home due to high costs of attending matches in the USA. England's campaign begins against Croatia in Dallas on June 17, while Scotland face Haiti in their first World Cup match since 1998.
UEFA welcomed the operation's results. A spokesperson said: 'UEFA strongly supports coordinated international action against organised crime in the digital environment. We would like to thank all of the authorities and industry partners involved for their continued cooperation and contributions.'
Despite the shutdown, legal viewing options remain available. All England and Scotland matches will be broadcast on Freeview channels, with ITV showing England's opener against Croatia and Scotland's match against Morocco, while the BBC will broadcast Scotland's games against Haiti and Brazil.
