Border Patrol: $9 million in counterfeit World Cup merch seized

July 27 (UPI) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday that it seized nearly $9 million in counterfeit FIFA World Cup 2026 merchandise.

Nearly 20,000 items were seized by the agency, including jerseys, shot glasses, soccer balls and jerseys for dogs. The items violated intellectual property laws, including FIFA trademarks, and were taken into possession of the agency.

Jerseys for the U.S., Mexican, Portuguese, French, German, Brazilian, Spanish, Argentinian and Ecuadorian national teams were all seized.

“CBP has a significant role in protecting American consumers from low quality and potentially dangerous counterfeit items,” Roderick Hudson, CBP area port director, said in a statement. “Consumers should always be informed and know where they are buying their products. Too many global criminal networks are very deceptive in scamming sports fans and harming American consumers and businesses.”

A majority of the shipments of counterfeit World Cup merchandise originated from China. Some items were to be delivered in the United States but there were also items meant for other destinations.

CBP said in a press release that the growth of e-commerce has made it easier for counterfeit items to be sold to U.S. consumers. Along with sports merchandise, commonly counterfeited products include medications, perfumes and cosmetics, children’s toys, jewelry and electronics.