FIFA shares new update about worries over match-fixing at the World Cup
FIFA has responded strongly to recent claims of match-fixing during the 2026 World Cup. This was the first ever 48-team tournament, with 104 matches played, and Spain winning the title for the second time after beating Argentina at MetLife Stadium.
There were several refereeing controversies during the event. After their 3-2 loss to Argentina, the Egyptian Football Association asked FIFA to remove the match officials involved. They said, “We demand the referee and the entire crew be taken out of the World Cup after looking into these mistakes.” Egypt’s coach, Hossam Hassan, also made headlines when he made a controversial ‘X’ gesture on the sideline and accused FIFA of favoring Lionel Messi, saying, “They want Messi to stay in the tournament.”
FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer, Pierluigi Collina, quickly rejected these claims, calling them “unfounded allegations” and defending the honesty of the match officials.
Things got more attention when Cristiano Ronaldo’s Instagram liked a post accusing FIFA of corruption. In response, FIFA shared a statement online.
The FIFA Integrity Task Force, which includes experts from world football organizations, the FBI, INTERPOL, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and others, looked into the matter. They found no suspicious betting patterns or signs of match-fixing. Experts monitored betting markets and the matches in real time and reported nothing unusual.
On their website, FIFA said: “After reviewing all the information during the competition, the Task Force found no suspicious betting activity or signs of match manipulation in any game.”
They also explained that during the tournament, FIFA collected and analysed reports and data about betting and shared this information with Task Force members according to their procedures.
Liam Rich, FIFA’s Senior Integrity Manager, said the Task Force gave a “strong framework” for sharing information and checking concerns. They plan to use this same approach in future tournaments, including next year’s Women’s World Cup.
However, FIFA still has two ongoing investigations related to the World Cup, both involving Argentina. One is about a banner shown by Argentine players after their semi-final win over England. The banner said, “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (“The Falklands are Argentine”).
The other investigation is about a fight after the final, when some Argentine players and the assistant manager appeared to attack opponents following their loss to Spain.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee has appointed a prosecutor to look into whether Argentina broke rules against poor conduct and behavior that harms football’s reputation. Possible punishments include fines and bans, depending on the outcome.