Fake football tops worth more than £5m seized by Edinburgh Trading Standards in one of the biggest hauls of its kind in UK
The total amount seized weighed over nine tonnes and is believed to be worth more than £5 million.
More than 58,000 fake football shirts that were to be sold during the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament have been confiscated in what has been described as one of the largest seizures of its kind in the UK.
The Trading Standards Team from City of Edinburgh Council made the seizure of the counterfeit jerseys and kits at an undisclosed location.
It comes after an intelligence-led investigation into the sale of fake kits was launched by Police Scotland, with support from the National Trading Standards Intellectual Property team in Newport Trading Standards.
The total amount seized weighed over nine tonnes and is believed to be worth over £5 million, making its one of the biggest confiscations of its kind in the UK.
The popularity of football kits has exploded in tandem with the World Cup tournament, which kicked off last month and will continue until the grand final on Sunday, July 19.
Football fans were not only keen to get their hands on kits featuring names of stars such as Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane, but Scotland fans were also rushing out to buy the latest Scotland kits to support their country in their first tournament in 28 years.
The coveted pink-hued away kit was just one of the kits which sold-out quickly in shops before the tournament began, with counterfeits being sold online to meet the high demand.
However, consumers are warned that fake football tops often bypass safety regulations, are of poor quality and may even contain harmful toxin in the dyes and materials. The sale of fake football tops and other counterfeit good also have strong links to the funding of organised crime.
Councillor Neil Ross, regulatory convener, said: “Our Trading Standards team have secured a tremendous result in intercepting these shirts.
“With the World Cup well underway this is a timely reminder that criminals exploit major sporting events by flooding the market with counterfeit goods to cash in on fan demand.
“Let me be clear, this is not a victimless crime. Counterfeiters undermine legitimate businesses, rip off supporters and sell products with no guarantee for how or where they were made or whether they meet basic safety standards.
“The investigations into the supply routes involved in this discovery continue but we know that this is part of an international trade in counterfeit goods and represents a significant dent to their illegitimate trade.”
A spokesperson for Back Four Brand Protection said that the majority of the tops seized were England and Scotland tops, but also featured kits from Spain, Portugal, and France.
The counterfeit kits which were seized in the haul will be securely recycled after being confirmed as fake by brand holders.
John Herriman, chief executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said: “This is an outstanding seizure that strikes a significant blow against organised criminal networks while protecting consumers from potentially unsafe and substandard products.
“The global trade in counterfeit and pirated goods remains one of the world's most pervasive illicit markets. The latest international estimates put its value at around $467 billion a year, representing 2.3% of global trade.
“Far from being a victimless crime, counterfeiting undermines legitimate businesses, deprives economies of revenue, puts consumers at risk, and provides a source of income for organised crime groups.
“The proceeds from counterfeit goods can help fund a range of serious criminal activities, including human trafficking, modern slavery and the exploitation of vulnerable people.
“Seizures like this demonstrate the vital role Trading Standards and enforcement partners play in disrupting criminal networks and protecting the public.”
A Scottish Football Association spokesperson said: “The Scottish FA invests income into the game at every level, from the grassroots scene through to the senior international squads.
“Without the funds generated from licensing, merchandising and sponsorship, this would be severely impacted. Counterfeit goods hit those revenues and, therefore, the amount that we can pour back into Scottish football.
“We are committed to tackling fake merchandise and protecting our loyal supporters from sub-standard products.”
They added that the “huge demand for official kit and merchandise in general” was understandable given Scotland’s return to the tournament, but the Scottish FA “strongly encourage Scotland supporters to opt for official merchandise”.