World Cup 2026: Match-fixing investigation casts shadow over tournament

An investigation has been opened into potential match-fixing linked to sports betting during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after a European watchdog identified seven "yellow alerts" for suspicious betting activity, directly contradicting FIFA's own integrity findings.

The Group of Copenhagen, an independent international network that monitors sports manipulation under the Council of Europe's Macolin Convention, flagged several incidents during the tournament.

Among the irregularities were the red card shown to South Africa's Themba Zwane in the 84th minute of the opening match against Mexico, over $4.8 million (£3.6m) being placed on Spain not to defeat Cape Verde before their 0-0 draw, and a three-and-a-half-minute VAR delay that ruled out Ferran Torres' goal for Spain against Saudi Arabia.

The report also highlighted a market opened by prediction platform Polymarket on July 2 asking, "Will Folarin Balogun play against Belgium?" – the same day the US forward was sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina. No similar markets were opened for any of the other 14 players shown red cards during the tournament.

FIFA's Integrity Task Force, which included experts from the FBI and Interpol, concluded on Tuesday that "no suspicious betting activity or indications of match manipulation in connection with any fixture" had been identified across the tournament's 104 matches. The governing body confirmed it had found no evidence that sports betting influenced any World Cup matches.

However, the Group of Copenhagen's findings, released just one day later, present a direct challenge to FIFA's position. The group, which is an independent member of FIFA's Integrity Task Force, said it has sent a formal request for written explanation to FIFA regarding the Balogun case.

Christian Kalb, a gambling industry expert who has worked with the Group of Copenhagen, told The Athletic that the yellow alerts do not necessarily confirm match manipulation, noting that "the volume of betting at the World Cup is enormous, and every match represents billions of pounds, which makes drawing definitive conclusions difficult".

The Council of Europe has released a summary of the findings, though the full report has not yet been published. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities examining whether any matches were deliberately manipulated for betting purposes.

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