Men’s sports account for 95% of suspicious matches in 2024: report

Ansh Pandey January 10, 2025

SiGMA news

A from Sportradar has confirmed that 95 percent of match-fixing cases are occurring in men sports. A total of 1,057 suspicious matches were identified in men sporting events, compared to just 51 in women’s events.

However, the 2024 data provided by Sportradar Integrity Services highlighted a reduction in match-fixing cases across various sports, offering a positive sign in the ongoing battle to preserve the integrity of sports.

Andreas Krannich, Executive Vice President of Integrity, Rights Protection & Regulatory Services at Sportradar, commented on the findings, stating that while the reduction in suspicious activity provides reason for optimism, it also emphasize the continued need for vigilance.

Despite the decrease, the overall number of suspicious cases remains high, signaling that the fight against match-fixing still requires significant attention.

Soccer and Basketball report decline in match-fixing

Soccer, the world’s most popular sport, saw a substantial drop, with 721 suspicious matches detected in 2024—an 18 percent decrease from 881 matches in 2023. Brazil, a country with a long history of match-fixing issues, also reported significant improvement.

Suspicious matches in Brazilian football dropped by 48 percent, from 110 in 2023 to just 57 in 2024, marking a positive shift in a region historically troubled by frequent match-fixing scandals.

The report reveals that a total of 1,108 suspicious matches were identified across 12 different sports in 95 countries. While the global number of suspicious matches decreased by 17 percent in 2024, the report notes that corruption continues to penetrate new sports, tournaments, and territories.

Corruption remained prevalent in historically affected sports but was also increasingly found in new competitions, highlighting the adaptability of match-fixing networks.

Asia emerges as a major concern

Asia remains a key area of concern. Despite the global decline in suspicious match activity, the region saw a slight rise of eight additional suspicious cases compared to the previous year. This increase underscores the unique challenges faced by the region in combating sports corruption.

Soccer and basketball continued to dominate the landscape of suspicious activity in Asia, reflecting their immense popularity and the large volume of betting associated with these sports.

Beyond soccer, 387 suspicious matches were detected across 11 other sports in 2024, down from 450 matches in 2023. While soccer remains the primary target, this data further illustrates that match-fixing remains a significant issue across a variety of sports.

For the unaware, match-fixing, as defined by the Macolin Convention, refers to the manipulation of sports competitions through intentional acts aimed at altering the result or course of a competition to remove its unpredictability, typically for an undue advantage.

This offence can involve athletes, coaches, match officials, or club management. The ongoing fight against match-fixing requires continued efforts to safeguard the integrity of sports at all levels.