More than 220,000 counterfeit football shirts with a genuine retail value of £18.5 million have been seized since January 2026, the City of London Police have said, as a nationwide operation targeted the illegal trade during the World Cup.
The force’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (Pipcu) led the enforcement, removing the fake shirts from online marketplaces, live shopping apps and traditional market stalls. Four people were arrested on suspicion of selling counterfeit shirts, with two further arrests made by other police forces.
“Police have seized more than 220,000 fake World Cup shirts worth £18.5m since January 2026.”
Detective Chief Inspector Amanda Lowe, head of Pipcu, said: “Counterfeit football shirts aren’t a harmless bargain, they are a key revenue stream for organised crime groups, helping to mask and fund the criminality happening behind the scenes.”
Police warned that the shirts are produced in unsafe and unregulated conditions and can contain harmful materials that fail safety standards, while profits from sales are used to fund criminal operations.
“This is anything but a victimless crime,” said Helen Barnham, head of enforcement engagement at the Intellectual Property Office. “The trade in counterfeit goods is estimated to cost thousands of jobs in the UK each year and supports other forms of serious crime – harming legitimate businesses, society and the wider economy.”
A Football Association spokesperson also urged fans to avoid counterfeit products, noting that “brand abuse and counterfeiting negatively impacts the FA’s role as a not-for-profit organisation that directly funds all levels of our national game.”
As World Cup fever mounted, partners across the country coordinated to tackle the issue, Lowe said. The operation aimed to ensure fans could support their team in a shirt that is “safe and legitimate.”