The integrity of World Cup 2026 faces intense scrutiny following reports of suspicious betting patterns across seven matches.
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Subscribe Sekarang →According to a report by The Athletic, the international advisory body known as the Copenhagen Group identified seven potential anomalies during the tournament held across North America. This finding directly contradicts an earlier internal report from FIFA, which claimed its integrity task force found no evidence of unusual gambling activity or match manipulation.
One notable irregularity involved a specific betting market opened after American forward Folarin Balogun received a red card. The market questioned whether Balogun would play against Belgium, raising immediate concerns among integrity monitors.
Based on the report, another flagged incident was the dismissal of South Africa midfielder Themba Zwane during the tournament opener against Mexico. South Africa finished the match with nine players on the pitch.
Significant financial activity also drew attention. Over 4.8 million dollars was wagered on the prediction platform Polymarket for Spain not to defeat Cape Verde. The group stage match subsequently ended in a goalless draw.
The Copenhagen Group issued seven yellow notices based on unexplained odds fluctuations and social media rumors. Experts estimate total wagers on World Cup 2026 reached 240 billion dollars, double the amount placed during Qatar 2022.