FIFA Integrity Task Force Dismiss suspicious betting activities during FIFA World Cup 2026
The FIFA Integrity Task Force, established to safeguard all FIFA competitions against match manipulation‑related threats, has successfully concluded its FIFA World Cup 2026™ operations after monitoring betting markets and on-field activity in real time across all 104 matches.
Based on the information collected and analysed throughout the competition, the Task Force identified no suspicious betting activity or indications of match manipulation in connection with any fixture.
During the tournament, FIFA centralised the collection of betting‑monitoring reports and other relevant data and information provided by Task Force members, as well as information received through available reporting mechanisms. This information was subsequently analysed and shared among Task Force members in line with operational procedures.
The collaborative nature of the Task Force enabled an experienced, coordinated and timely assessment of and response to any alert or indication of potential match manipulation throughout the FIFA World Cup 2026™, with each participating member contributing their specific expertise.
Members of the Task Force for the FIFA World Cup 2026 include the AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, UEFA, the OFC, the United States Soccer Federation, the Canadian Soccer Association, the Mexican Football Federation, the FBI, INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Council of Europe, the Group of Copenhagen, Sportradar, the International Betting Integrity Association, the United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports, IC360, Genius Sports, the United States Department of Justice, Sport Integrity Canada, the Competition Bureau Canada, the Comisión Federal de Competencia Económica and other independent experts.
“The FIFA Integrity Task Force provided a strong framework during the FIFA World Cup 2026 for sharing intelligence, assessing potential concerns and coordinating a timely response,” said Liam Rich, FIFA’s Senior Integrity Manager. “We thank all Task Force members for their expertise and commitment during the competition and we look forward to building on this collaboration at future FIFA tournaments.”
Looking ahead, FIFA will continue working with the members of the Integrity Task Force to safeguard future tournaments, including FIFA’s youth competitions later this year and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™.
FIFA will also continue to develop and strengthen its integrity strategy in collaboration with confederations, Member Associations and other key stakeholders in the global fight against match manipulation.
Gianni Infantino: “I think we have to invent a new vocabulary, new words to define the success of this FIFA World Cup”
The 2026 edition saw more fans attend matches than 2018 and 2022 tournaments combined with over six billion people expected to have engaged worldwide
First 48-team finals brought almost three goals per game across 104 matches, the best ratio for a FIFA World Cup™ in 56 years
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said the FIFA World Cup 2026 “destroyed every record” after the first 48-team edition in the tournament’s history came to a spectacular end.
FIFA President happy with ‘record-smashing’ FIFA World Cup 2026 . Over 6 Millions Fans Attended
Spain dethroned reigning champions Argentina in the final at the New York New Jersey Stadium to be crowned FIFA World Cup winners for a second time and bring the curtain down on a milestone-setting 39 days of competition across Canada, Mexico and the United States.
With three co-hosts and a record number of participating teams, the 2026 tournament was groundbreaking even before the first match kicked off in Mexico City on 11 June, but it went on to set benchmark after benchmark through to its conclusion on 19 July.
An all-time record 6,810,966 fans attended the 104 matches – more than the 2018 and 2022 editions combined – with an average crowd of 65,490 at every game. With the 16 venues filled to 99.7% capacity, the 2026 tournament set another FIFA World Cup best.
Fans also saw more entertainment on the pitch. The 48 teams registered 308 goals between them – smashing the previous best of 172 from 2022 – with an average of 2.96 goals per game. That surpassed the average of 2.69 in Qatar four years ago and is the highest ratio since the 1970 tournament in Mexico.
“This World Cup has not just broken all possible records, it has smashed them, it has destroyed every record,” Mr Infantino said. “All the top, top players performed extremely, extremely well, from, of course, Rodri, who was the best player of the tournament, to Leo Messi, to Kylian Mbappé, to Erling Haaland, to Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham: every player was there. New players came in, beautiful stories, debutants, the Cabo Verde stories, so beautiful.
“I mean, you cannot script the perfect (FIFA) World Cup in such a way as this (FIFA) World Cup happened. I think we have to invent a new vocabulary, new words to define the success of this FIFA World Cup.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino with Royal Spanish Football Federation President Rafael Louzan
The number of people having engaged with the tournament around the world is expected to total more than six billion when the final figures are released, and a number of TV viewing records were set by those unable to attend matches in person. In addition, more than 9 million fans attended FIFA Fan Festivals across the three host countries, including more than 4.5 million in Mexico alone.
Mr Infantino said the breathtaking numbers were symptomatic of how football had united the world.
“I feel good. I feel fantastic. I feel great, satisfied for the incredible success of this FIFA World Cup,” he said. “I am very proud, of course, of everything that has happened. I am very happy because what we did is, we made millions of people in America and around the world happy. We have seen images and scenes of fans in the stadiums, in the cities, in America, in Canada, in Mexico, all over the world, which are unique. And this reminds us that football in the FIFA World Cup is not just a competition, but it is actually there to unite the world and to make, maybe, the world a little bit better.”
With the 2026 edition already disappearing in the rear-view mirror, the road for FIFA’s flagship men’s tournament now directs towards the FIFA World Cup 2030™. It will be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain with matches also played in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay as part of the tournament’s unique centenary celebration.
While he acknowledged that certain aspects may be different, the FIFA President said the common thread that runs through every FIFA World Cup would connect the 2030 edition with its 23 predecessors.
“Nothing can touch the power and the magic of the FIFA World Cup, because the world needs events like this to bring them together, to bring people together in joy and happiness. We saw so many families, so many women in the stadiums. We saw so many happy scenes in the cities. We saw fans from different countries celebrating,” Mr Infantino said.
“We had peace, we had joy and we had people coming together, because when you do the things as we do at FIFA, with your heart and with passion, then they turn out perfectly well. This FIFA World Cup has been incredible; the next one will be fantastic.”
