Less than two weeks before the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Toronto police say they have dismantled the largest counterfeit soccer merchandise operation ever uncovered in Canada, seizing millions of dollars in fake goods tied to a warehouse distribution network in the Greater Toronto Area.
The Toronto Police Service said officers recovered more than CAD3.5 million ($2.5 miilion) worth of counterfeit items from a Mississauga warehouse, including over 16,000 jerseys, flags and other fan merchandise carrying falsified FIFA, Nike, Adidas and Puma branding, as well as two counterfeit World Cup trophies designed to mimic official tournament prizes.
Investigators say the operation came to light in mid-May after a complaint to the police FIFA planning investigative unit raised concerns that suspected distributors were supplying fake merchandise to retail stores across the region.
That tip triggered a broader probe into what police described as a structured commercial supply chain rather than isolated street-level sales.
Toronto Police Service Superintendent David Ecklund speaks to the press about what they described as the largest seizure of counterfeit jerseys ever recorded in Canada, just days before the start of the FIFA 2026 World Cup, Toronto, Canada, June 1, 2026. (Reuters Photo)
