Over 4,400 fake football shirts seized in massive UK pre-World Cup crackdown

More than 4,400 counterfeit football shirts have been seized by UK authorities in what is being described as the largest raid in a new pre-World Cup crackdown, according to The Athletic.

The early-morning operation was carried out on Saturday in the Midlands at one of the country’s largest outdoor markets.

The discounted counterfeit jerseys, including those of major international teams such as Argentina, France, Portugal and England, were traced to a single stall that had been under prolonged surveillance, as reported by The Athletic.

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During the raid, one suspect was arrested on allegations of distributing counterfeit goods and taken into custody. He has since been released on bail while investigations continue. Authorities have also indicated that more individuals linked to the operation could be questioned.

The enforcement action, codenamed Bloxwich, forms part of a broader initiative involving multiple agencies aimed at tackling the sale and distribution of counterfeit merchandise ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The operation specifically targets both online and physical markets dealing in fake football apparel.

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Officers from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), under the City of London Police, executed the raid shortly before 9am. The stall was suspected of selling fake shirts for as little as £20, significantly below the £80 price point for authentic kits.

In total, 4,433 items were confiscated and transferred to a secure facility for expert analysis and verification.

The seized goods, which included jerseys from Premier League clubs and major European teams, have been catalogued as evidence. Authorities estimate the operation prevented losses of approximately £400,000 to the legitimate market.

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“Many people see this as quite a minor crime. I understand that they want to get a shirt for their kids or themselves for the World Cup coming up, but this type of crime leads into far bigger criminality,” Detective Sergeant Jamie Kirk from PIPCU told The Athletic.

“It may appear to be a bargain, but the reality is that purchasing counterfeit goods can help fund serious organised crime, including money laundering, human trafficking, forced labour and drug supply.” Kirk also highlighted that “poor quality” items that “fail to meet required standards can be flammable or contain harmful chemicals.”

The Athletic previously examined the scale and criminal networks behind counterfeit football merchandise in its investigative feature, ‘The Underground World of Fake Football Shirts', published in March 2025.