Excitement is building around the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with fans across the globe eager to show support for their favorite teams. But alongside the celebration, consumer advocates are cautioning shoppers about an increase in counterfeit merchandise being sold online.
According to Better Business Bureau Heart of Texas Senior Director of Communications Jason Meza, reports of fake and low-quality World Cup products are already surfacing.
“Better Business Bureau is witnessing a little bit of chatter in our local area regarding counterfeit items, things that were promised, and really low-quality, subpar items that end up in their mailbox or on their doorstep,” Meza said. “A lot of this is online.”
With many fans searching for official jerseys, collectibles, and other World Cup memorabilia, scammers are taking advantage of the heightened demand by advertising products that may not match their online descriptions.
Meza advises consumers to be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true.
“We all want the bargain. We all want a deep discount,” he said. “But knowingly, you get what you don’t pay for in this sense. Are you paying for a subpar quality item? Inspect those products carefully.”
Warning signs of counterfeit merchandise can include poor-quality packaging, misspellings, grammatical errors, blurry logos and websites that rely heavily on stock photography instead of original product images.
“A lot of stock photos end up on storefronts, and then you get the item and it’s totally not what it was presented as,” Meza said. “If you’re shopping from a source you’ve never purchased from, check a few websites and read the reviews.”
Beyond disappointing customers, counterfeit sales can have broader consequences. Meza noted that counterfeit operations are sometimes linked to criminal enterprises and other illegal activities.
For consumers who discover they have purchased counterfeit merchandise, the Better Business Bureau encourages reporting the seller. Complaints can be filed with the online marketplace where the purchase was made, the Better Business Bureau, or a state’s attorney general’s office.
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