Match-fixing is decreasing in number, but becoming more sophisticated and difficult to detect.

The company Sportradar recorded 1.116 matches with evidence of match-fixing in 2025. The cases were detected in 94 countries, covering 12 sports. This volume corresponds to less than 0,5% of the more than one million events monitored by the company throughout the year, according to reports. Globo Online.

Experts point out that sports fraud has undergone significant transformations. The traditional model, based on deliberate defeats, has given way to manipulations focused on specific details of matches. Corner kicks and fouls at specific moments in the game have become preferred targets of fraudulent schemes.

This change makes detection more complex. The new approach requires fewer people to carry out the fraud.

Fraudulent networks have adapted to existing control mechanisms. Organizations seek loopholes in the oversight system. The concentration of operations occurs in markets with less scrutiny and in betting modalities that are more difficult to monitor.

Live betting accounts for 77% of identified match-fixing cases. Football remains the sport with the highest number of occurrences, with 618 suspicious matches recorded in this modality.

Basketball, tennis, and table tennis have gained prominence in the context of fraud. Other sports have also presented suspicious cases.

The geographical distribution of cases has changed. Europe and South America recorded a decrease in the number of occurrences. Asia and Africa showed an increase. This redistribution indicates a migration of fraudulent networks to regions with less stringent enforcement.

Systems based on artificial intelligence have expanded the ability to detect suspicious patterns. The technology contributed to a significant increase in identified cases between 2024 and 2025. Human interpretation remains necessary to validate the suspicions raised by the algorithms.

Experts warn that the problem is far from disappearing. Manipulation has only changed form. The human factor remains essential for interpreting contexts and validating evidence, even with technological advances.

Organizations like FIFA are implementing sanctions and educational programs. These initiatives have already reached tens of thousands of people. The goal is to curb the spread of the problem.

The challenge for global sport is to anticipate future forms of fraud. The evolution of fraudulent schemes demands constant improvement of control and oversight mechanisms.