Full Episode Available: CBC Here and Now Toronto
Reuters coverage: Toronto Police seize $2.5 million worth of fake soccer gear ahead of World Cup
Overview:
On June 1, 2026, Toronto Police held a press conference to announce the largest seizure of counterfeit soccer jerseys in Canadian history. Officers had executed a search warrant at a Mississauga warehouse and recovered over 16,000 fraudulent jerseys and flags bearing fake FIFA, Nike, Adidas, and Puma branding — along with two counterfeit World Cup trophies. Total value: over C$3.5 million. Two men, Ramy Jaber of Milton and Walid Sarhan of Mississauga, were arrested and charged with fraud over $5,000, trademark infringement, possession of proceeds of crime, and trafficking in counterfeit goods. The story was picked up by Reuters and made international headlines.
The timing could not have been more significant. Canada is hosting the FIFA World Cup for the first time, with six matches scheduled in Toronto alone — including Canada’s opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12. The city is expecting over 300,000 visitors. The counterfeit operation, according to police, had been supplying fake merchandise to retail stores and operating as a full-scale distributor.
That same day, CBC’s Here and Now Toronto reached out to me to break down what the seizure means — legally, commercially, and practically for consumers and businesses alike. I’m a lawyer at Barbarian Law, a transactional firm practising corporate, commercial, and real estate law, and I’ve worked extensively in the area of intellectual property. Below is the interview in full.
The Interview
Nav: Less than two weeks away from the start of the FIFA World Cup and on the heels of the big kickoff, Toronto police say they’ve made the largest seizure of counterfeit soccer jerseys in Canadian history. In a press conference today, they said they’ve seized over 16,000 name-brand knockoffs, including two counterfeit FIFA World Cup trophies. That’s over $3.5 million worth of fake merchandise discovered in a warehouse in Mississauga last month. All of this got us thinking: how do you spot a fake FIFA jersey? Well, here to tell us is Karim Eshqoor. He is a lawyer with Barbarian Law in Aurora. He’s an expert in intellectual property. Hi, Karim.
Karim Eshqoor: Hi, Nav. How are you?
Nav: I’m doing well. This is quite the story. So what did you make of this police seizure, the largest counterfeit bust in Canadian history?
Karim Eshqoor: I wasn’t surprised by this seizure. I think that when big tournaments like the World Cup come around, it’s quite common for licensing issues to come up like this because there’s much more counterfeit goods entering the black market. So I think that it’s good to see that the police are looking out for mass importation of counterfeit goods before they reach the shelves to help protect consumers.
Nav: Have we ever seen anything close to this before?
Karim Eshqoor: This has been the largest seizure in Canadian history. So we haven’t seen anything quite like this before. And obviously, this is the first time we’re hosting the World Cup. Obviously, whenever there’s concerts and sporting events like the World Series and Taylor Swift events, there are things like this. However, I think it’s something that we can expect with the popularity of new players like Lamine Yamal. I have a young cousin who has 12 Lamine Yamal jerseys himself. So I think if they were all real, it would obviously cost thousands of dollars, which most people can’t afford. But I think it’s common to see them when you go on the streets. However, I think that FIFA itself as an organization wants to make sure that their brand is protected and that the brands of their sponsors such as Nike, Adidas, and Puma are all protected, as well as the licensed merchants that are doing business with them in Toronto.
Nav: You mentioned the ability to identify whether a jersey is fake or not. What are some of the telltale features that you should look out for if you think you have a fake jersey on your hands?
Karim Eshqoor: I think a lot of times you’ll see older editions of World Cup kits. You’ll want to make sure that the current kit is the one that they’ll be wearing in the games that you purchase. So one way you can tell is if the jersey you’re wearing doesn’t match the team on the field. However, there are also ways you can tell by the quality. Sometimes authentic jerseys will have the information on the jersey itself rather than on a tag. Or sometimes you can tell by the way it’s stitched. If there’s misalignment in the letters or numbers, you can usually tell by the quality of a cheap fake.
Nav: Karim, I want to take a step back and go back to the seizure that took place because over $3 million worth of fake merchandise was seized in this entire operation, which is absolutely crazy. And I’m wondering, based on your experience working in intellectual property, how lucrative is the fake merchandise business?
Karim Eshqoor: You know, I think it’s quite common for big brands to have their identity and brand likeness copied. We see businesses like Chanel and Dior, and also smaller brands, have their image taken over by counterfeit items. So I think that it’s important for us to be aware of that as a whole. But I think that on a small scale, the mom-and-pop shops need to be supported. I have a friend who has a store called City Soccer in Richmond Hill and he has so much inventory of new jerseys. So when people are selling counterfeit jerseys, you’re actually putting the people who are trying to profit off it in the correct way in harm’s way. So I think it’s important that the people who are selling things through the FIFA fan zones, and who have licenses and contracts with FIFA and licenses with the city, that you purchase from them rather than people who are selling jerseys on the street. For example, when I was in Brazil for the World Cup, there were often people selling jerseys on the street. And I also purchased a replica World Cup from an artisan jeweller. That’s not something that is subject to licensing. So I think in the seizure there was also a replica World Cup and also flags that were seized. I’m not sure how you can have a real version of a flag or a fake version of a flag. But I think it’s more of a concern with the jerseys because it’s the players on the team that are having their identities misappropriated, potentially. And the team sponsors such as Nike and Adidas are also at play. And the countries themselves, like Canada and Iran, will also want to make sure that their sponsors are being represented correctly on the field as well.
Nav: So when it comes to intellectual property and the requirements that FIFA has laid out when it comes to merchandise and being able to sell merchandise officially, what are some of those requirements?
Karim Eshqoor: The requirement is that the main sponsors of FIFA have their brands displayed. And if you want to use the intellectual property of companies like FIFA, then you have to have a licensing agreement with them. So even using the words “FIFA World Cup 2026” in commercial products that you produce, you might potentially get a warning or a ticket from either Toronto Police or licensing affiliates with FIFA. So I think there’s also potential that competitors can report these merchants to the police. So I think it’s important that you ensure you check the quality of the product you’re buying because obviously there could be safety issues with counterfeit goods. So I think it’s a safety issue, as well as an important thing for the consumer to have trust in what they’re buying.
Nav: And Karim, to put this into perspective, how much would it cost to obtain a FIFA licence if you were interested in producing products with the FIFA or World Cup name on it?
Karim Eshqoor: That is probably too late at this point because we’re only two weeks away from the tournament. I’ve considered trying to find ways to put flags on different kinds of products to sell. However, flags themselves are not something that can be subject to intellectual property. So if you want to put your country’s flag on some of your products, that’s fine. But I think when you use the national team logos or actual specific intellectual property, some of the teams or players involved, like their names or their likenesses, their faces, then that’s where you could potentially be subject to law enforcement or you could be supporting an illicit black market.
Nav: And Karim, quickly, what kind of impact do you think this seizure will have on the counterfeit market? Do you think we’ll be seeing fake jerseys pop up ahead of kickoff next week?
Karim Eshqoor: I think this definitely puts a lot of resellers on notice. And they’ll have this news, which seems to have made international news, actually. So I think that everyone will be on high alert that if they’re selling fake jerseys, they should not be doing it anywhere near the stadium because it’s very likely that there will be people on the lookout for people who are selling these fake jerseys.
Nav: Karim, I really appreciate the conversation. Thank you so much for your insight.
Karim Eshqoor: It’s my pleasure. Thanks for having me.
Working With Barbarian Law
Stories like this are a reminder of how much is at stake when the commercial and legal foundation of a business isn’t built properly — licensing agreements, commercial contracts, the structures that govern how businesses operate and protect themselves.
At Barbarian Law, we practise corporate, commercial, and real estate law. We work with businesses and individuals on the deals, structures, and agreements that matter — whether that’s incorporating properly, negotiating commercial contracts, or closing real estate transactions with confidence.
If you’re building something, buying something, or putting a deal together, let’s talk.
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Karim Eshqoor is the founder of Barbarian Law, a transactional law firm practising corporate, commercial, and real estate law.
