FIFA taskforce member contradicts claim of no suspicious World Cup betting

The Copenhagen Group says there were 12 “major controversies” tied to integrity risks at the 2026 World Cup.

Switzerland.- FIFA announced earlier this week that there had been no reports of suspicious betting on the 2026 World Cup. That claim was based on the work of its Integrity Task Force, which comprises various international partners. But the conclusion appears to have been called into doubt by one of the members of the same task force.

The Integrity Task Force monitored all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup in real time. According to FIFA, no suspicious betting activity or indications of match manipulation were identified.

However, the Council of Europe, which is part of that task force alongside various sporting organisations and industry groups, has backed findings from an independent watchdog that tell a different story. The Copenhagen Group, also known as the Network of National Platforms, is an international advisory network established under the Council of Europe’s Macolin Convention.

Its analysis identified seven “yellow” alerts and 12 “major controversies” tied to integrity risks examined during the competition. The reason for the discrepancy in reporting is not clear. It may be that the major controversies were finally judged not to warrant suspicion, or the bodies could be counting different sectors in their reporting.

Notably, the Copenhagen Group also monitored prediction market platforms during this year’s World Cup tournament. It raised concerns about risks tied to anonymous wagering and the use of cryptocurrency payments.

FIFA itself had caused controversy in this area due to its sponsorship arrangement with Gibraltar-licensed ADI Predictstreet. Meanwhile, sports media publications including The Athletic have raised concerns about Polymarket’s market on “Will Folarin Balogun play against Belgium?”, which opened on the day the US striker was sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Three days later, on July 5, FIFA confirmed Balogun could play after intervention from US president Donald Trump, whose son works for Polymarket.