Seven suspicious betting anomalies were detected in connection with 2026 World Cup matches

A Copenhagen-based group that works to combat the manipulation of sports competition results has identified seven suspicious anomalies in the betting market during matches of the 2026 World Cup and has submitted an official inquiry to FIFA.

According to The Athletic, the organization analyzed all 104 matches of the tournament and began investigating a number of incidents. These include the red card given to a South African midfielder in the opening match, the scoreless draw between Spain and Cape Verde, and Ferran Torres’s disallowed goal in the game against Saudi Arabia.

Special attention was paid to the situation involving U.S. national team forward Folarin Balogun. On the day of his ejection, a prediction regarding his participation in the next match appeared on the Polymarket platform. FIFA subsequently overturned the player’s suspension, which also became the subject of an investigation.

The Copenhagen-based group emphasized that suspicious signals do not constitute proof of manipulation but require further analysis. As part of the investigation, the organization conducted its first-ever continuous monitoring of prediction markets, specifically the Polymarket and Kalshi platforms.

Source: The Athletic.