Overview
- Cincinnati CBP officers intercepted 68 shipments containing 2,589 counterfeit FIFA World Cup 2026 items during a five-day operation called Protect the Pitch.
- The seized goods included jerseys, shorts, footwear, hats and accessories with a combined MSRP of about $266,566 if genuine.
- CBP designed Protect the Pitch to target packages routed to U.S. host-city areas and reports most Cincinnati shipments originated in Mexico and Colombia.
- The Cincinnati action adds to nationwide enforcement that counted more than 1,400 World Cup-related seizures with an aggregate MSRP above $23 million and separate large interceptions in Miami, Houston and Indianapolis.
- CBP says over 90% of counterfeit shipments arrive through international mail and express services, warns of health and economic risks, and urges shoppers to buy from reputable sellers to prevent criminal profits and forced-labor links.