In a shocking turn of events, the CONMEBOL region has experienced a surge in suspicious football matches, according to the latest report released by Sports Integrity Services (SIS) for the first six months of 2024. The figures reveal a concerning trend of match-fixing activities plaguing the world of football, with tens of thousands of fixtures being scrutinized for irregularities in both betting markets and on-field actions.
Starlizard, the integrity division responsible for identifying suspicious matches, highlighted a total of 79 football matches worldwide between January 1 and June 30, 2024, with a staggering 17 of these matches occurring in just one country within the CONMEBOL region. This marked a 200% increase in suspicious matches in the region compared to the previous year, totaling 33 matches and accounting for 0.56% of all CONMEBOL region games analyzed.
The report also uncovered integrity alerts in 23 countries across domestic men’s competitions, with 29 of them located in the UEFA region. This number, however, represents a decline from the 40 alerts reported during the same period in the previous year. Even more disturbing is the revelation that seven of the identified matches were club friendly games, despite comprising only 4% of the total games analyzed.
Affy Sheikh, the Head of Starlizard Integrity Services, expressed grave concern over the alarming findings, stating, “The 2024 half-year figures reveal several concerning insights, with few positives to report. In particular, the data highlights a troubling situation in the CONMEBOL region, where the number of suspicious matches has surged by 200% compared to the same period last year. This stark increase serves as a clear reminder that match-fixers are constantly adapting and will exploit any vulnerabilities they find.”
Furthermore, Sheikh pointed out a concerning trend in first-half-only betting markets, with 40 matches targeted in this manner during the first six months of 2024, up from 21 matches in the same period in 2023. This significant rise in manipulation in betting markets underscores the continued efforts of match-fixers to disrupt the integrity of football competitions around the world.
As the football world grapples with the growing threat of match-fixing, it is clear that stringent measures need to be implemented to safeguard the sport and ensure fair play for all stakeholders involved. The revelations from the SIS report serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against corruption in the beautiful game.
