2026 World Cup: 7 incidents flagged for potential match-fixing irregularities involving Balogun, Spain, South Africa
Fresh questions have emerged over the integrity of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after an international sports betting watchdog flagged seven incidents for potential irregularities.
While no evidence of match-fixing has been established, the findings have added to the scrutiny surrounding a tournament already overshadowed by several controversies.
Betting watchdog raises concerns despite FIFA’s clean report
According to reports, the Copenhagen Group, a Council of Europe-backed network that monitors sports betting activity, issued seven “yellow notices” during the World Cup after identifying multiple indicators of possible irregularities.
The organisation monitored all 104 matches, placing 15 games under enhanced scrutiny while examining 12 major incidents for potential threats to sporting integrity.
Its findings differ from FIFA’s own integrity task force, which worked alongside Interpol and the FBI and reported no suspicious betting activity or evidence of manipulation throughout the tournament.
However, the two conclusions are not necessarily contradictory. A yellow notice does not mean a match was fixed; rather, it signals unusual betting patterns, rumours or other unexplained indicators that warrant further investigation without constituting proof of wrongdoing.
Balogun, Zwane and Spain match among flagged cases
Among the incidents that attracted attention was the controversy surrounding United States striker Folarin Balogun.
Following his red card, betting markets reportedly opened on whether he would be available for the round-of-16 clash against Belgium before his suspension was controversially overturned after intervention from US President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
The red card shown to South Africa’s Themba Zwane during the World Cup clash against Mexico was also highlighted.
Another case involved Spain’s surprise 0-0 draw with Cape Verde, where reports claimed that approximately $4.8 million had been wagered on prediction platform Polymarket that Spain would fail to win.
The Copenhagen Group estimated that nearly $240 billion was staked during the tournament, almost double the amount wagered at the 2022 World Cup, with the rapid growth of cryptocurrency betting and micro-betting increasing concerns over potential manipulation despite no evidence of match-fixing being uncovered.