AI against match-fixing: FIFA expands betting monitoring ahead of 2026 World Cup
4 March 15:56
FIFA has extended and expanded its partnership with Sportradar, a company specializing in detecting match-fixing and monitoring betting. The new agreement will remain in effect until 2031 and is estimated to be worth approximately $500 million. This was reported by Sportradar’s press service, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
What the updated contract provides for
Sportradar will provide FIFA and all 211 national associations with:
- monitoring of the global betting market using artificial intelligence;
- analytical support for investigations during major tournaments;
- testing of 10 new tools at competitions of various levels, from youth to adult tournaments for men and women.
The company said that the expanded cooperation “strengthens FIFA’s ability to identify, assess, and respond to integrity risks in a changing global betting environment.”
Why this is important right now
The decision was made ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. It will be the largest tournament in history in terms of the number of participants.
During the previous World Cup in Qatar in 2022, Sportradar monitored all 64 matches in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Interpol.
The context for tightening control seems logical: according to the company’s 2025 analytical report, soccer remains the most attractive sport for match-fixing organizers, with 618 suspicious incidents (compared to 730 a year earlier). The top three also include basketball (233 cases) and tennis (78).
From its own system to outsourcing
Until 2017, FIFA used its own analytical system. However, after the resignation of security chief Ralf Mutschke at the end of 2016, the organization outsourced its monitoring functions. The first agreement with Sportradar was signed in 2017.
Since then, the company has tracked more than 600,000 matches worldwide using the Universal Fraud Detection Service system.
Financial background
The decision to extend the contract comes amid the federation’s large financial commitments. The FIFA Council has already approved a record $727 million for the 2026 World Cup, with each participating team guaranteed to receive $10.5 million.
At the same time, other football organizations are facing currency risks: last year, UEFA reported a loss of €47 million due to the fall in the US dollar exchange rate.
Signal of FIFA’s strategic bet
The extension of the contract with Sportradar is a signal of FIFA’s strategic bet on technological control of the global betting market. In a world where the volume of sports betting is growing rapidly, the risks of manipulation are also scaling up.
On the eve of the largest World Cup in history, FIFA is trying to demonstrate that the fight for “clean football” is not just a declaration, but a systematic investment.
