Copenhagen flags betting irregularities at 2026 World Cup

An independent gambling watchdog has identified seven potential irregularities in betting activity during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, directly challenging the global soccer body's conclusion that the tournament was free of manipulation. The Group of Copenhagen, an integrity monitor operating under the Council of Europe, issued "yellow alerts" for suspicious patterns linked to specific matches and a high-profile disciplinary decision.

The findings, released on July 23, contradict a report from FIFA's own Integrity Task Force published on July 22, which stated it found "no suspicious betting activity or indications of match manipulation in connection with any fixture" across the tournament's 104 matches. The Group of Copenhagen is an independent member of that task force and has now formally requested a written explanation from FIFA regarding one specific case.

That case centers on U.S. forward Folarin Balogun. According to the watchdog's report, the cryptocurrency-based prediction platform Polymarket opened a market on July 2 asking, "Will Folarin Balogun play against Belgium?" This occurred on the same day Balogun received a red card in a Round of 32 match against Bosnia and...